Three Weeks Later; May Nineteenth, 2012…
"Again!" Splinter ordered his sons, which is to have Leonardo and Raphael flip Donatello and Michelangelo over their shoulders when they charge to attack their older-brothers. Normally, they wouldn't object or complain but when your sensei makes you repeat the same kata and fighting style over and over, which lasts through the whole night and doesn't even give them a chance to rest to catch their breaths… Then, yeah, they'd be complaining right now, if they weren't gasping for breath.
For over three weeks, since they recovered from their encounter with the Shredder, Master Splinter decided they won't be out patrolling, let alone going up to the surface, and are to remained in the Lair and train... And since then, they've done nothing but training, with little time to eat or rest. Leonardo didn't know what came over his Sensei, but he figured that their fight with Oroku Saki must've clouded his mind with fear that the next time they faced him, they would end up killed... That, and possibly had nightmares of his fears projecting into his head of what might or could happen.
And the eldest-son didn't like the decision Splinter is having them do: His brothers never trained longer than their normal training session would be, not like he has done from the extra training sessions he went through. Not only that, but they also are struggling to stay awake and for their bodies to keep going on whatever little food they had hours ago.
He hadn't even fed Karasu in nearly two weeks, which splinter has been doing in his place and is missing every moment he wanted to spend with her as she grew. She looks to be the size of a two week old crow but shows to progress normally as a raven would, and is now in the habit of hopping and walking around the Lair before going back to Leo's room to sleep in her nest. Clever bird even learned how to pull the Shoji doors open and close, along with turning doorknobs if she's able to climb to reach for its height. Within two weeks, she'll start practicing her flying and in between her fifth and sixth weeks of and, she's free to be on her own.
But, with Splinter making them train without rest for three weeks straight, Leo won't be able to help her fly or even start teaching her to glide. His body is also suffering from the lack of recuperating his energy, and is now running on non-stop boost of adrenaline.
Donatello and Michelangelo charged for the blue-masked turtle and Raphael, both whom flipped them over their shoulders and slammed then on their shells, all gasping for air.
"There is no intention in your strikes!" Splinter yelled, glaring at his struggling sons. "Do it again! We will practice all night if we have to!"
A low rumble Left Leo's chest, glaring at his Sensei for his outburst and demanding to do more training… Sort of a shocker to hear from Leonardo, himself, of him not wanting to keep training.
'If he keeps this up, we'll end up blacking out in the middle of training. Or worse? Our bodies could give out and put us in an ill state, in order to regain energy lost.'
Normally, the best thing to do is to keep pushing to satisfy Father's expectations... However, him working the others to death with no proper time to rest, is those time you're right to get angry at his choice.
...Agreed. Alpha forcing Pup and Kins to breaking point. Continue, and death comes long before next encounter with Enemy.
"We have been practicing all night." Donatello told his sensei, barely able to get back on his feet but unable to hide the exhaustion in his tone. Beside him, he and the others heard snoring sounds on the ground, coming from Michelangelo, muttering about pizza… Which sounded so good right about now, that Leo didn't care if he'll throw it back up, so long he finally gets food into his stomach.
"Wake him up!" Splinter ordered Raphael, who smiled and cracked his knuckles.
"Gladly…" Was his response, as he reached for his brother's shoulders and tossed him over his shoulders again, with enough force to snap the youngest-turtle from his sleep.
"Ahh! Shredder's here!" Mikey screamed, panic clear in his baby-blue eyes from the thought Shredder was attacking him when he was having a few seconds of peaceful sleep. Leo sent a glare over to Raph, before kneeling beside his youngest-brother.
"Relax," he reassured in a gentle tone. "You were just having a nightmare." The orange-masked turtle still seemed scared, but trust his oldest-brother and allowed Leo to pull him back on his feet.
"Aren't we all?" Raphael muttered.
"Sensei, can we rest for a sec?" The purple-masked ninja asked, still seemed out of breath when he spoke. Leo's worry grew for his brothers' health.
'Lack of food, rest, and not enough water intake is starting to take its effect on Don. If he keep this up, his body will burn out and force him into a fever in order to stay warm! And soon, it's going to get through Raph and Mikey as well! Sensei needs to give them a break, right now!'
"'Rest'?" Splinter repeated, but it's clear on his face he isn't going to be giving Don his request. "Hmm, the Shredder will not rest, until you are all dead!"
…Not really much for encouragement to have you all to keep training.
Try making Alpha see reason, Pup.
'As if that's going to do much to change his mind.' "Sensei, we've been training nonstop for weeks with hardly any sleep. They need a break!" As if to prove it, Donatello and Michelangelo appeared more drowsy and seemed ready to even sleep while standing on their feet.
"Oh, like you don't?" Raphael questioned, seemed rather angered that Leo wasn't including himself with the rest of the team when he, also, is exhausted and didn't look any better than they do. In fact, he knows for a fact that while they slept, Leo force himself to meditate as a substitute for sleep and was the first to start training when Splinter would gather them back into the dojo. He also, as always, wasn't eating much as they were, which he knows is their father's doing for pushing their leader near his breaking point.
Leo knows that the lack of sleep would make his younger-twin prone to snap quicker and an argument to turn a bit more physical than it normally does. While the leader's patience would drain when not getting enough sleep of his own when being challenged, he tried answering his brother as calmly as he could.
"You three aren't used to long extensive training like I have," he explained. "And because of that, I don't need to take breaks as much."
"Is that so?" Raphael clearly isn't taking the answer well. "Ah, well, then, I'll give you a break."
Pup!
Move, now!
Immediately, ignoring the protest in his muscles, Leonardo backflipped away from the strike he never intended to happen from Master Splinter. While he landed without taking the hit, his three brothers weren't so fortunate and they all landed hard on their shells. Rage boiled in the blue-masked turtle's blood, as he glared up at his master while kneeling.
"If I were the Shredder, none of you would be breathing right now. Understand?" And once again, Splinter chose to use threats and ignore Leo's reasoning of his brothers' health being an excuse to finally rest. He couldn't stand it anymore and if what he's going to say doesn't make him see reason, then he's going to do something he'll either regret in the future or make Splinter wish he never made him leader. And while both his Conscious and Instinct would protest of the decision he'd be doing, this time, because he's doing this for his brothers, they're going to allow him to do so.
"…So, you decide the best way to prepare us to fight him is to start acting like the Shredder, himself?" He growled out, ignoring the protest in his legs when getting back up to his feet. His brothers are eye-wide shocked on what Leo just said to their father, who also seemed a bit taken back but only glared down at the blue-masked turtle.
"Nani tte itta no (What did you just say)?" Leonardo has seen the angry side of Master Splinter a couple of times and, very rarely, he would be the cause for those moments. And when he's like this, the turtle know what to expect to happen, besides that the humanoid-rat tends to speak in his birth of tongue at times.
"I just compared you to your brother, on how you're acting like him and making us train with barely any sleep or food."
"Watashi wa kare no yōna monode wanai (I am nothing like him)!" His voice raised, worrying the other turtles for their big brother.
"You say that, but you're so blind by your own thoughts that you don't see what you're doing to your own sons!" Leo snarled, part of his lips pulled back to show off his fangs to the side.
For the first time in so long, actually the first ever, Hamato Leonardo talked back to his sensei, Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi. His brothers were so shocked, they didn't have any word to even think about saying as the blue-masked turtle stood up for them towards their father. And while Hamato Yoshi has dealt with back talks in the past, having Leonardo do so before him was something he never expect to happen… But his own fears from his nightmares of Shredder, killing his sons, his babies, prove to be very powerful to prevent his mind to open his mind and accept what his eldest child is trying to make him see.
"Shureddā to no tsugi no deai no mae ni, mina wa kunren suru hitsuyō ga arimasu (You all need to train, before your next encounter with Shredder)." Leonardo forced himself to try and calm down, though his glare remained stern and clear to not back down.
"That may be true. However, what you seem to have forgotten, is that resting is also part of training. Our bodies need a certain amount of time to regain strength and energy, before they can continue to function properly in training." On cue, Mikey instantly went back to sleep, landing on top of Raph who glared down at the youngest-turtle but didn't shove him off of him. "We're done with training, for today."
Splinter's tail twitched, his Reddish-brown eyes glaring with disapproval.
"I have not given you my blessing to stop training. We continue training!" The growl returned from the blue-masked turtle.
"You may not give us your okay to stop, but you did make me leader. Which, in terms, puts me in charge on how to take care of my team. So, as leader, they have my permission to rest."
It was a good thing Michelangelo is sleeping, otherwise he'd be as freaked out as his older brothers are when their father had a disturbing look on his face that could, as Leo as said, be compared to Shredder's expression. The fifty year-old humanoid-rat took the few steps to Leonardo, standing right in front of him... Then, he grabbed for the strap over the fifteen year-old's plastron, pulling him to almost be face-to-face with the man who raised him and his brothers for over fifteen years.
"I am your master," he snarled out. "You are to obey me." The blue-masked turtle has a certain feeling he knew was going to happen, but even then, he isn't afraid of what the consequences will result in. All that matters to him, is making sure his brothers are safe from any threat that can't take on... Including their own father.
"I only obey to the one who doesn't act like an enemy in my eyes. One, who won't end up endangering my brothers' health and safety. And I'll stand up to whoever harms my brothers in any way that'll put them in danger, including you... Master."
You went a bit too far on that.
'Doesn't matter how far I went. He needs to hear it, whether he wants to or not. After all, not many people want to listen to the truth, when they don't to accept what they're wrong about.'
Leonardo can literally see the anger burning inside Splinter's eyes, feel the trembling in the hand grasping firmly to the strap that held his swords' scabbards to his shell and hear the rage breathing through the adult's angry panting. Then, just as he expected to occur...
*SLAP!*
The sound echoed throughout the dojo, waking Michelangelo from his sleep and witness what he and the others never thought to see at all. Their sensei, their own father, struck their big brother. He just lost his temper and slapped his eldest-son, a deep dark bruise forming on his right-cheek... Blood trailing down the darkened colored skin.
A moment passed, until Hamato Yoshi seemed to finally gain some clarity on what just happened... His Reddish-brown eyes lost the anger in their gaze and replaced with horror, disbelief at the bruise, the bleeding he implanted onto one of his sons and the hand that was the cause of the wound to appear on Leonardo's face. And right in front of his younger-sons, to top it all that.
He immediately released the eldest-turtle, who didn't make any move, let alone uttered a sound when the humanoid-rat slapped him. All he did was lift his gaze back to his sensei when the slap forced his head to turn to the side... Then, let out a tiring sigh of disappointment.
"A part of me hoped you would avoid any physical lashing, and truly see what was going on right in front of you... Such a shame." He turned away from his still stunned sensei and kneeled before his also stunned brothers, gently urging Mikey to his still sore-feet. He gazed back to Splinter, no sign of any anger towards his sensei but still held the determination on watching over his brothers' well being. "They're going to rest, right now. We shall resume training, once their bodies and minds have rested."
He didn't bother to wait and hear what Splinter has to say, as he helped the youngest-turtle for his bedroom. When he returned, Raph and Donnie seem to finally allow the exhaustion to take over and are passed out in deep slumber, Splinter no longer in the dojo and most likely retired to his own room to rest or meditate. He helped each of his brothers to their bedrooms, ignoring the protest in his legs and the sting from the bruise on his cheek, before he finally went to his own room to rest.
Once inside, a small-shadow figure hopped towards him and nuzzled against his legs.
"Leo! I missed you!" Karasu greeted, gentle grazing the smooth green-skin of her 'brother' and waiting patiently for him to scoop her into his arms and nuzzle beak with him.
"I missed you, too, Kara." He replied, gently stroking the soft feathers from the top of her head down to her tail, which always soothes the raven/crow-hybrid. He made his way to his bed, laying the three weeks old bird into her nest before forcing his body to lay down and relax his muscles.
"He hit you, didn't he?" Karasu questioned, getting out of her nest and resting herself on top of his plastron and staring at the bruise on his cheek, eyes flashing in concern from the blood trailing down the dark-colored skin.
"He was going to make us keep training through the day," he answered. "I had to stand up to him, otherwise my brothers' healths would deteriorate more than from lack of energy and their bodies would force them into fevers... This is what happens when you let fear cloud your judgement, and not seeing the damage you're causing into others."
Karasu slowly crawled forward until she was face-to-face with her 'brother', staring at the bruise until she gently brushed her black-beak across the wounded skin.
"Did Papa say he's sorry?"
Her question brought a small-smile to appear on Leo's face, finding it very intriguing of the black bird calling Master Splinter as 'Papa', no doubt using the title from being uncertain to call him as her 'father' or 'grandfather'. She also didn't know what title to call his brothers by at first, until she finally given them the title as her 'older-brothers'. Although, while feeling a bit odd around April, also feeling what Leo did about the human girl, has already dubbed her as her 'sister'.
Leonardo didn't say anything to answer her question, only running his fingers gently through her feathers and making low, purr-like sounds through his chest. Karasu knew he does that to reassure her everything's going to be alright, which she took to heart.
"Let's get some sleep, okay?" Leo suggested, lifting her off his chest and back into her nest. "I'll probably have some time to teach you how to glide, before I have to go back to training." Her black-eyes flashed with joy, let out a few chirp of glee, before getting herself comfortable in her nest.
As his companion fell into slumber, Leo stared up at his ceiling, many thoughts going through his head at once that made it almost impossible for him to sleep.
Pup must rest. Need all strength to continue training.
'I would, but this headache won't let me sleep from what's been going on for weeks. Not to mention, the pain in my nerves coursing throughout my body preventing me from relaxing.'
You may have to hit the pressure points in your body, if you're unable to fall asleep.
'...Right.' Leo raised a hand to his right-shoulder, placed his pointing-finger to the spot in-between his neck and shoulder and, with enough pressure held for a few seconds, the darkness took over and is now embraced within the comfort of sleep.
Hours Later…
"Aaahhh!"
"Come here you!"
Crash!
Leonardo's eyes instantly snapped open and sat up in his bed, his muscles crying in protest from the immediate movement. Karasu, who also woken up from the noise, made a yelp of her own and jumped to the edge of her nest.
"What's that noise? Are we under attack?" As Leo rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his right-hand, he reached for the raven/crow-hybrid with his left and gently stroke her feathers in reassurance.
"It's alright, Karasu." He mumbled, still in the process on waking up. "It's just Raph and Mikey… Who I'm betting just ticked our hot-headed brother and provoked him to attack."
"Why Older-Brother Mikey want Older-Brother Raph to attack him?" Leo held his left-arm out, allowing Karasu to rest on his arm until he finally got to his feet and let her on his left-shoulder.
"Mikey doesn't intend for Raph to attack him… He just finds it amusing to see how quick he could get our red-masked brother to snap."
Crash! *Break!*
"Got you, you little pest!"
"Oh no, Raph got me! Leo! Don! Help meeeeh!"
Leo shook his head, as he slowly made his way for the door. In the living room, Raphael had Michelangelo pinned beneath him, forcing his left-leg backwards to make the orange-masked turtle to keep crying out "uncle" multiple times. Neither of the two turtles saw their big brother and Karasu watching the scene before them.
"Think we should go help, Karasu?" The raven/crow-hybrid cocked her head from side-to-side, before letting out a low-chirp.
"Older-Brother Mikey asked for it... Still, best make sure Older-Brother Raph doesn't hurt him too badly."
Leo smiled at the bird on his shoulder.
"Wise choice for words, Karasu." He turned to face his brother, then let out a few coughs looks enough to be heard through Mikey's cries of submission. "Whatever reason you have that you believe to be justified to pull his leg off, Raph, please remember that he's your brother and should be using every strength and energy on improving your skills to take down our actual enemies."
Both stared up at their big brother, till Raph finally pulled himself off of Mikey.
"Pull another one of your Prank-enstein crap on me again, and I'll make sure you bend until you become a living origami." He stared back to his brother, his Emerald-green eyes locking on to the bruise of Leo's cheek. "You should have Donnie take a look at that bruise, before he has a cow." Leo knew it was his own way to show his concern and, just by looking into Raph's eyes, there's still some traces of discomfort from witnessing their own father to strike one of his sons out of anger… Something that he, himself, has done in the past and still trying to control his own anger.
Leo flashed him a small-smile.
"I will," he assured. "I was actually on my way to see Don to get some worms for Karasu." The black bird let out a few chirps of anticipation, lightly hopping on her feet to show her eagerness when the blue-masked turtle brought up worms.
"I still don't see why you won't let her eat the same food we now eat, instead of keeping her stuck on worms." Mikey said, coming over to pet the bird and nearly getting his fingers nipped by her black-beak.
"We've already been over this, Mikey." Leo said, a hint of annoyance of his brother getting on his nerve on how to care for the small black-bird. "Is Don in his lab?" He didn't wait to hear the answer, already catching the sound of sparks within the genius turtle's lab and already heading for the doors.
"Yeah, been there since he finished breakfast." Raph answered, who went to get Spike and sat him on his left-shoulder while following his shorter but older-twin. Inside the lab, they saw the second youngest-turtle kneeling behind what looks to be an old go-kart, connected to three other go-karts. Raph shook his head from the sight before him and his brothers. "You're still working on that go-kart?"
"It's not a go-kart." Don replied, pushing the metal-mask over his head that has shielded his face from the sparks of the blowtorch while he was fixing up certain areas of the vehicle that had terrible cracks that could result in oil-leaking or parts to pop off. "It's an all-terrain patrol buggy with detachable sidecars."
…So, it's a patrol go-kart buggy.
Uncertain. Don't appear safe, even if Omega-Brother Donatello made it to be of use to Pup's pack.
"Dude, hasn't Splinter been pushing us hard enough from training us to the ground?" Mikey asked, seems very excited about the "patrol buggy" Don's making but more concern on why his third older-brother would be pushing himself to invent instead of resting like the rest of them. "You gotta find a way to relax."
"We all deal with stress in different ways, Mikey." Leo explained to Mikey, taking a moment to stare into the blueprints to see what Don has equipped to the vehicle and if there are certain parts he needs to help improve the patrol buggy.
"Yeah. This is how I deal." Don said, smiling from how totally relax he feels from working on the patrol buggy.
"And this is how I deal." Leo's ears picked up the sound of water and, as Mikey reached for whatever it was that was making the sound, his Conscience, Instinct and the feeling in his gut gave him one word of command to follow: Duck!
Instantly, the moment the orange-masked turtle tossed what appears to be a yellow water balloon, Leo ducked in time for it to pass him and hit Don in the face. Karasu screeched from the sudden dodge of the water balloon, taking shelter between the back of Leo's head and top of his shell. The purple-masked turtle appeared stunned by the water balloon for a few seconds, then tossed the metal-mask off his face and dashed for the turtle who threw the water balloon at him.
"You're next, Leo!" Mikey playfully warned, running from Donnie's grab for him. "Dr. Prank-enstein makes house call! Aaaah!" The two ran out of the lab, leaving the two eldest turtles alone in the lab.
"Leo?" Karasu chirped, slowly coming out of her hiding spot but remains laying on his right-shoulder. "Is it safe?"
Leo let out a few clicking chirps of his own, stroking her feathers with his left-hand.
"It's alright, Kara." He gently reassured. "They're only roughhousing. Now, let's get you those worms." The reminding of worms made her perk right back up from her startled moment with the water balloon, nearly hopping off his shoulder if he didn't grab her on time and lead the both of them to the pull full of algae and worms.
As she helped herself into grabbing the worms with her beak from the algae, Raph came beside his brother, setting Spike down beside the bird to let his turtle spend time with the raven/crow-hybrid.
"You going to treat that bruise, yet?" Raph asked, glaring at the dark-color on his brother's cheek that shouldn't be on him in the first place. Leo prevented himself from rolling his eyes. Raph is making sure he doesn't avoid treating the wound he promised to take care of, with Donatello preoccupied on getting Mikey for the water balloon.
"Do you mind watching Karasu for a moment, while I go treat it?" Raph jerked his head to where the first-aid kit sat on Don's workbench.
"Go ahead."
Leo made his way to the workbench and opened the first-aid kit, finding some disinfectant ointment inside the medical kit and applying it to the wound on his right-cheek. It stung, but the pain isn't something he hadn't dealt with. While treating his wound, he watch as Raphael kept his full attention on Spike and Karasu. He may have a serious temper, but his proven to be very responsible when caring for other animals and pet-sitting. While eating, Karasu seems to enjoy Spike's company and even offered him a few worms to see if he's hungry. As for Spike… Well, besides letting her catch him some worms for him to eat and allowing her to lay beside him, he didn't really seem to show much reaction but Leo can tell he, also, enjoys her company just as much.
"I can't believe what you did," his brother's voice caught Leo's attention. "At the dojo… You talked back to Master Splinter, stood up against him, for us." He turned his head to stare at his blue-masked twin, his Emerald-green eyes still reflecting the shock from their last training session with Splinter. "...Why would you do that?"
"...You guys are my teammates. But, what's more? You three are my brothers." There was no hesitation, no regret or even second-guessing to his explanation to Raph's question. "As both leader and the eldest-sibling of the Hamato children, it's my job to ensure your health and safety aren't in any danger. Whoever dares to threaten your guys' well being, I will intervene to the perpetrator... Even if it's Sensei, himself."
Raph was at a loss for words.
'He's willing to that far for us? Even if it means Splinter would punish him?'
"I can tell that you weren't expecting something like that to ever happen." Leo said, kneeling to his knees when Karasu hopped towards him and wants to be picked up by her 'big brother'.
"Well, yeah." Always being honest, which is one of Raphael's strong qualities that's something both good and bad to gain. "I mean, you follow every teaching, training and even rules Father would do or follow."
Leo let out a low chuckle.
'Not sure if I should take it as a compliment or not, but I'll take it as such.' "Yeah, well unfortunately, Master Splinter has forgotten some rules of his own and lessons he neglected for weeks."
Karasu lifted her head up and nuzzled her beak with Leo's, gently grazing her beak against his skin and letting out cooing sound, expressing her sorrow from the reminder of the past not being with her big brother and always sensing dark emotions throughout the Lair.
"…Did you really meant what you told Master Splinter? About him becoming like Shredder, and all that?" Raph also lifted Spike back into his arms, as the two eldest left the lab and went for the living room. A flash of sadness can be seen in Leo's Cerulean/Sapphire-eyes.
"I hated myself for having to tell Sensei that, but he has to understand that keeping us underground and enforcing so much extensive training on us isn't helping. By not allowing us time to rest properly and pressuring us with threats as our enemy would, it damages our bodies to function as it should and our minds shall be poisoned with fear misdirecting us."
Even though that may be true, Father's decision on keeping you all down is probably a good thing.
"So, you think we should stop doing training...? To ignore Master Splinter's orders? -The red-masked turtle had a look of shock on his face, pretending to be horrified.- Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?"
Leo couldn't help but laugh at his brother's playful antics. Karasu cocked head from side-to-side, confused on what's going on.
"Very funny, Raph." He gently stroked the small-bird's feathers, silently telling her everything's alright. "While some rebellion would help ease some of our stress, I'm afraid we're gonna have to keep training."
"Figures..." Raphael muttered, disappointed by his brother's answer that ruined their little moment of bonding they were just having.
"I know this is killing you and the others, especially with it getting away with time we wish to spend too rest, Sensei isn't wrong that we need to be ready the next time we cross path with the Shredder."
Donatello and Michelangelo both returned from chasing each other, having to catch the last sentence Leo just said to Raph.
"I hate to say it, but the fact that we've been laying low, might be the only reason why we're still alive." Don said.
"Which means, until we're ready, we stay down here."
"Unfortunately, that's not an option." The four brothers turned and saw April entering the Lair, a smirk on her face and waving her phone in the air, "Teenspyapps" written on the screen.
"We're meeting Shredder tonight. He's got a plan to destroy the turtles." The first voice belong to the leader of the Purple Dragon, Fong.
"How? He doesn't even know where they are." The second voice being the biggest of the three, Sid.
"He says they're in the sewers somewhere, and that's all he needs to know to wipe them out."
The Hamato Clan are clearly stunned to hear what the leader of the Purple Dragon just said. How could Oroku Saki figure out where they're taking shelter, in just three weeks, since their encounter? Surely, not even the number of ninjas he brought from Japan would've been capable on scoping the entire city of New York in such short time.
"Our home is no longer safe." Splinter wasn't too thrilled from the realization that Shredder found out where they're hiding and plans to kill them off, somehow. "The Shredder must be stopped."
That part, Splinter's right about, but doesn't seem to appear confident that his sons are ready to face their enemy again.
"True, Sensei, but we don't know what his plan is and how to stop it." While Leo faced the humanoid-rat, his hearing caught the sound of water and knew that Mikey is preparing to throw a water balloon at him, just as he promised he would do earlier. Swiftly bringing a small-knife from underneath the wrapping of his left-arm, he tossed the small-blade behind his right-shoulder and the water balloon burst from the perfect shot the blue-masked made with it. 'Sorry, Mikey, but right now isn't the time for fun and games.'
"We have to go topside, and find out what they're planning." Raph stated, ready to go into battle.
Beta-Brother Raphael, correct. Only way to find out what Enemy plans for Pup and pack.
"Raph is right," he confirmed. "There's no other way." He can feel that Splinter didn't want them to go back to the surface, but even he knows that they have to figure out how Shredder is going to get rid of them when he doesn't know their exact location of the sewers they're in. Karasu gently tapped her beak to his plastron, gaining his attention.
"Me come, Big Brother?" She asked, shifting her wings a bit and letting out a few cawing sound. He knows how much she wants to join him on missions, including going topside to see the surface world that'll soon be hers to live in and wanting to practice gliding. The blue-masked turtle shook his head.
"Sorry, Karasu. You need to stay." He told her, ignoring the confused gazes of the others. The small-bird let out a few caws of disappointment, firmly slapping her feet on his shoulder.
"But, me can help. Me can spy from higher distance, and won't get caught! Please, let me help, Leo!" Leo was going to protest, again, when a sudden idea came to mind.
'…She can spy from afar distant and even if she were to be discovered, they won't know she's with us.'
Still, she can't fly and you can't let her be on her own. Besides, she doesn't even know how to glide, yet!
'No, she doesn't know how to glide… Yet.' He turned to the redhead human. "April, I need you to do something for me."
Near Evening, At the Abandoned Church…
"For a church that was supposed to be abandoned, you'd think the other humans would be wondering if it came back or why it's being active, again." Donnie wondered, watching as the three Purple Dragons head inside of the church, its bells ringing. Leo was the first to head for the ground, hiding behind a corner of the building just across the street from the church in front of them.
A few sniffing in the air, and he knew that the information he gained from a couple of crows and even a stray cat are correct. Silently, he hand-signaled his brothers to come over.
"This is the place," he whispered. Behind him, he can tell Michelangelo stood behind him from the hand on his shoulder that neither felt rough or having any callous.
"Donnie, you're crowding me." Raphael whispered, glaring at the purple-masked turtle closing in on his personal-space.
"Sorry." Followed by a few footsteps going backwards, the sound of shell hitting a trashcan came next and the sound startled the youngest-turtle into screaming and jumping on his feet, both his hands clenching onto Leo's right-arm and earning glances from his three brothers.
"Sorry." He apologized, still a bit jumpy from the sounds startling him. "All that Splinter talk about how we're not ready has me thinking, maybe we're in over our heads."
That earned him a firm punch to the head by Raph.
"You're always in over your head," the second-eldest turtle stated.
"Now, I'm saying we're all are! And that scares me." Leo set a hand on Mikey's shoulder.
"It's okay to be scared, Mikey." He reassured, turning back to the street to keep visual eyes out for any sign of Foot ninjas… Only for his hearing to catch the sound of a dog's growling and large footsteps coming for them. "However, now isn't the time to let fear take over at the moment." He already knew who was coming for them, even before the figure came into view to see who dared to spy at Shredder's hideout.
"You should all be afraid." Before them, an humanoid-Akita Inu stood before them. By height comparison, he'd be about a foot taller than Splinter. He also appears to have some particle of stones embedded into his body, including the top-half of his back and parts of his shoulders. His left-hand twice the size and more muscular than his right, that's incased in stone. His tail, unlike Akita Inu's tails, wasn't curled and let down, most likely to help with his balance when walking. And his eyes, no longer of a human, but black with red-eyes glaring down at them, promising to kill them where they stand.
"Bradford."
"Rad-brad!"
Leo didn't bother to glare at Mikey for miscalling their enemy, only kept his eyes on the large mutated-human/dog before him.
"Look what I found, four soon-to-be-ex-turtles." His voice is rougher, mixed with low growls as he speaks, flashing the mixture of fangs and human-teeth to the turtles, as he moved forward on them.
"I'm sure glad it's okay to be scared."
"You and me both."
The fear in Don and Mikey's voice made Leo's instincts kick in. He pulled his swords out, glaring at Bradford and standing protectively in front of his two youngest brothers, growling back at him.
"Panic any more, you two, and you'll end up dead." He warned and, without any hesitation, made the first move to attack him.
Stop! You don't know what he can do!
Fall back! Retreat! Return with Kins back to Den!
'Too late for that!'
He ran forward to his left and sprang up, attacking from above to get him to block. Which he did with his right-arm, the stones protecting him from receiving any damage. Leo flung himself off and dodged for the left that he knew Bradford would use to attack him, landing on time. Only to realize that not only is Bradford strong in defense now, but his speed hasn't been reduced from his bulky body and barely had enough time to dodge a second time from the same hand that the tip of the stones in his hand nearly scraped into the pads of his knees. He backflipped himself back to his brothers.
Still think you guys can still take him down, now?
'Alright! I get it! One-on-one, he's still too powerful to face on our own and thanks to his mutation, he seemed to have improved in strength and defense. Let's see what he does, when fighting more than one opponent.' "Attack together!" He ordered, before they all separated when their enemy tried punching them and ended up impaling the ground.
Raph tried attacking to the Akita Inu's right, only Bradford to hold him back his weapons with his right-hand, the stone once again shielding him from injuries. Donnie charged from his own right and jabbed his end of the bō underneath his chin, which only irritated his enemy to swipe for them with his left-hand. Leo tried again to attack from above, both his blades inches away from embedding themselves into Bradford's skull, only for the arm incased in stone to grabbed them on time. He then lifted the turtle up by his swords and attempted to impale him with his left, only for the blue-masked turtle to pull away on time to dodge. Mikey tried using one of the metal-wires of the electricity line to slide down and attack from above, only to be slapped away and roughly land on Donnie.
Leo noticed how out of breath they all are, along with barely able to stay in position to keep fighting and more easily afraid they're in.
'They're still recovering from the extension training we went through. Their bodies hadn't fully recover their energies.'
That's why you need to flee! Now!
"This is hopeless." Don said to Leo, letting his guard down and giving Bradford the opportunity to attack.
"Move it!" Leo yelled, snapping the two youngest to focus and nearly ended up pummeled to the ground if they didn't dodge on time. "Keep this up, you'll lose more than just your head in battle!"
PUP! Get Kins to safety, now!
"Unfortunately, we can't keep fighting any longer."
"Come on, what are we retreating for?" Raph questioned, but didn't bother to hear for answer and charged Bradford again… Which, lead him being shoved away and landing in a dumpster. "…That's a good reason." He grunted, getting out of the dumpster to regroup with his brothers.
"Mikey, smoke!" Donnie cried, not wanting to stay any longer to keep fighting with mutated Bradford. A bit jumpy, Mikey searched for the only smoke-bomb he carries in his belt and when he finally felt the eggshell, he held it out… Then, because of stress and still exhausted state, the egg slipped from his lack of firm grip in his hand, as he tried catching it, the egg fell to the ground and cracked, only a small puff of smoke escaped.
"What was that?" Clearly, it was the most pathetic thing he ever saw to happen, especially in the middle of a battle that they're trying to retreat from.
"I'm stressed!" Mikey screamed, unable to contain his composure any longer. "Excuse me if my aim's a little off!"
"Guys!" Leo yelled, pushing him and Don backwards when Bradford made another hit to the ground that was made for them. Raph pulled out his own smoke-bomb with ease.
"How hard is it to hit the ground?" He growled, tossing his smoke-bomb down… Only for that smoke-bomb to hit the gap from a storm drain underneath him and when he kneeled to get it, the thump made from his left-hand forced the eggshell to jerk and slide through the hole it was just in.
"Not so easy, is it?" Mikey questioned, making a point on his end.
Leo has had it.
"That's it!" He yelled, reaching for his smoke-bomb and, this time, without any interruptions or distractions, the eggshell burst open and a large blanket of purple-smoke consumed them. In five seconds, the smoke cleared, the turtles are gone and there are no signs for Bradford to find them. He never knew they scaled the building and head for the nearest manhole-cover, returning to the Lair with shame of their unsuccessful attempt to spy in Shredder's hideout.
Back in the Lair…
They all say in the living room, defeated and embarrassed of their loss work Bradford. Leo hunched over where he sat, angered and disappointed himself for being so careless and putting his brothers in a position they weren't ready to do when their bodies weren't at one hundred percent.
Soft footsteps of his sensei brought him to stare up at the humanoid-rat in front of him, his gaze in question on what just happened. The blue-masked turtle never felt more self-loathing towards himself than he ever had this moment, informing Splinter of their failure, his failure as leader of the team.
"...We couldn't take him." He growled out, turning his gaze away from his sensei and clenching his arms with both of his hands.
"Dogpound was just too powerful." Mikey said, laying on the couch on his stomach.
"'Dogpound'?" Raph questioned, sitting on the top of the couch that faced the entrance of the Lair with his feet on the cushion.
"Yeah. 'Cause, he's a dog and he pounded us into the-."
"We get it, Mikey." The eldest-son cut the youngest-son's sentence, not in the mood to hear another name he came up for an enemy that's been mutated as Dr. Name-enstein.
"Well, with that mutt guarding that place, it doesn't look like we'll be getting anywhere close to that meeting now." Raph stated, not all too happy to that fact.
"Well, maybe we just need to find a new place to hide." Donatello suggested, already admitting defeat. Leo glared at his genius brother.
"And where would we go, exactly, Donnie?" Leo asked, already against the thought of leaving the den he lived in since he was an infant.
"I hear the sewers in Florida are nice this time of season." Donnie held his laptop to face everyone, showing an imagery of Florida on the website. Definitely not what the blue-masked turtle wanted to hear.
"No!" April exclaimed, coming into the Lair with Karasu sitting on her left-shoulder. "I'm not letting you guys give up."
…So much determination, She-Pup April holds.
She sure has a strong fire.
'Indeed, she does... In some way, that fire makes her worthy to be trained into a Kunoichi. However, we're still at a loss on what we need to do and it's barely been a full day our bodies rested from training.'
But you guys need to figure out what Shredder is going to do, before night sets in!
'Which is a few hours away.'
"Leo!" Karasu chirped in glee and, to the others amusement, hopped off of April's arm and spread her wings, slowly gliding down and landed gently with a hover. She hop-walked towards the blue-masked turtle, making the small hurdle to take her spot on his left-shoulder, nuzzling against his uninjured cheek. "April's Den is huge! More room than here, and can see so much of city!"
Leo lightly chuckled, nuzzling back against the bird.
"Did you behave yourself at April's?" He questioned the bird, earning a few chirps of giggling and bobbing herself in joy.
"Me was good. Did as Big Brother told. Me do good?"
"I did what you asked me to do, Leo… And, I must say, I'm still baffled on how she just took it all in and learned how to glide, just by watching a YouTube video of birds flying and gliding." April informed the blue-masked turtle, smiling at the sweet sight before her that showed Leo's gentler side.
"It's like I said before, she's a fast learner by observing. And, judging by her demonstration, proves she'll be a great flyer."
Karasu lifted her beak and screeched with glee.
"Me great flyer! Me be great flyer!" She sang for a moment, until she recalled of the problem that's going on and immediately looked serious to her brother. "Leo, let me help. Me can help on mission."
He still wasn't fond about putting her in harms way, but because of their failure to sneak in and with Bradford able to hear and smell them just outside of the building, Karasu is the only one who can get to the meeting and plant a radio for them to hear. He gave her a firm nod, silently giving her the okay to join.
"I'll spy on the meeting." April's offer pulled him from his silent conversation with Karasu.
Immediately, all of the Hamato voiced out their decision.
"No way!"
"Nuh-uh."
"You can't."
"Forget it."
"Absolutely not!"
She had a look of disappointment, a mixture of disbelief that they don't think she can help them.
"I can do this." She said, not trying to sound as if whining that she's not going to be involved. "You've been training me to be a Kunoichi." Splinter didn't look to be changing his mind, any second at all.
"For a few weeks," he reminded. "And lately, I've been completely focused on training them for weeks, which you haven't done any training during that time."
"...Actually, Sensei, I've been keeping up with my training." Leo's eyes widened a bit, not liking where her conversation is leading to.
'If she tells them...'
"How is it that you've continued your training, when I haven't been instructing you for over three weeks, April?" Splinter questioned, both he and his younger-sons' curiosity wanting to know what she's been doing.
Without thinking of what form of consequences there will be on the future, April answered her sensei.
"Leo's been helping me with my training." All eyes went to the blue-masked leader, who didn't look pleased of the sixteen year-old giving away that was supposed to be something private between them.
'...Great...'
"WHAT?!"
'And, just as I expect to happen from Don.'
"You've been training her?!"
The anger, hurt and disbelief can be seen in his Reddish-brown eyes, glaring at his brother as if he learned he was the one who destroyed one of his most prized inventions he ever made. Donatello made a grab for Leo's shoulder, which Karasu let out a warning hiss and jabbed her beak at the hand that nearly came down on her and her big-brother, getting into a protective stance should he make another attempt to grab Leo.
"Why would she have you help her with her training?! I- uh, we all could've been helping her to become a Kunoichi, together!"
Leonardo glared back at his brother, a low rumble escaping his throat.
'How dare he accuse me, as if I was stealing her from him when she was never his to begin with?'
"Donatello, enough!" Splinter ordered, also glaring down at his third son.
"But, Sensei, he-!" Donnie started, whining can be heard in his voice.
"I said 'enough', my son." They stared for a few seconds, till Don finally backed down and say back in his spot, but continued glaring over to Leo. Splinter turned back to his eldest-son, who was calming down Karasu. "Leonardo," he said. "How long ago have you been aiding April assistance in her training?"
Leo stared back at his sensei.
"Since the day after I rescued Murakami-san."
"What?!" Donatello couldn't help but blurt it out.
"I asked him to help me, Donnie!" April butted in, startled and taken back by his reaction when telling the rest of the clan what she and Leo had been doing. She never expected the genius turtle to be that much against his brother helping her to become a Kunoichi, and wasn't going to stand by and have him accuse Leo of any wrong doing he didn't commit. "You guys always told me how dedicated Leo was in his training, so I thought he'd give me some extra pointers to help me perfect my own." She faced Master Splinter. "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to ask for help, Sensei, I swear!"
"I am not angered to your decision, Child." He gently reassured. "I never forbid you to ask for aid from my sons. I'm rather astonished that you would choose Leonardo, and, most of all, has agreed to teach you."
"So, does this mean you'll let me go spy on the meeting?" She asked, giving him a pleading look as if she was asking him if she can drive on her own.
"No!" All five of the Hamato said, in unison.
"But-!"
"April." Leo cut her off, giving her a small glare that ensure she'll remain quiet to hear what he has to say. "So far, your training has been based on Katas and a few fighting styles to help you defend yourself from anybody who tries to attack you. You haven't been trained to do stealth, yet. And with Bradford-"
"His name is Dogpound now, Leo." Mikey interrupted, earning him a glare from his big brother for his interference, all because he gave an enemy a new name he came up with.
"With Bradford mutated into a humanoid-canine, he'll catch your scent and will react to any sound that he'll know isn't one of the Foot."
"What choice do we have?" She asked Leo, as she faced the others. "Shredder's going to attack your home, and we need to find out how."
"And we will, April, but not with you putting your life in jeopardy." He stood up on his feet, Karasu standing high and proud with her big brother. "Why did you think I asked you to take Karasu to your home, and put on videos based on birds flying and gliding in the air?"
Near Midnight, at the Abandoned Church…
Leo and the others stood on top of the same building across the street from the abandoned church, watching from afar and safe distance as April, acting like a pizza delivery teen went to their door. On his left-shoulder, Karasu couldn't help but look around the world she hatched into, marveled by the many sounds and bright lights all over the city. The blue-masked turtle can feel her excitement and already knew she'd be sightseeing her surroundings the very moment she came to the surface with them, while watching the scene going on before him.
"A big, bright world, huh?" He whispered, gently coaxing her onto his right-hand.
"…It's amazing," she answered. "I always wondered what the surface world would have to offer… But, this, is more than I imagined it would." A small pain of guilt ran through Leo's heart, feeling responsible for taking her away from the world that should've been her if he'd stopped Kraang sooner and saved her parents.
"And soon, this world shall be yours, as it should've been from the beginning." He gently assured her, watching as a Foot ninja just slammed the door on April. It's clear her way doesn't work on ninjas, as well as it does on normal humans and clueless Purple Dragons. She ran to the alleyway, making sure nobody sees her, before pulling out her phone.
"Looks like the Foot Clan are smarter than Purple Dragons." She called Leo, disappointed she couldn't get in.
"They'd almost have to be, wouldn't they?" He said, turning to Karasu and seeing she's ready to go. "Thanks, April. You did your best. Head on back to your Aunt, just in case any of them are suspicious about you and actually followed you to see where you go." He didn't wait for a response from the girl, knowing she'll heed his word with a good reason to stay out of the mission. "You ready, Kara?"
"Auuh!" "Ready, Leo!" She cawed, flapping her wings a bit as the wind rustled behind them.
"Are you sure about this, Leo?" Donatello questioned, not liking his brother's plan at all. "She's still too young to be in the air, even if she's gliding, and, by her wingspan and body-size, the wind won't lift her high enough to make it to the ledge. She'll fall to her death!"
"You think April was wrong?" Don's eyes widen to his brother's question. "You think she over exaggerated, when she stated her stunned response on how Karasu stared on her screen and watched how birds move in the air, flying or gliding?"
The genius turtle shut his mouth, not wanting to say any remarks negative to the girl he's in love. Karasu glared at her older-brother, who dared to not have in faith in her and judged her because of her age and the comparison with either both ravens and crows anatomy.
"I believe in Karasu, and I know she can make it." He turned to the raven/crow-hybrid. "Remember your training, and what you've learned from the videos." She let out a firm "Auh", positioning hey body to launch herself in the air and, when the wind blew a bit more stronger, she took her chance.
She straightened her wings, her diamond-shaped tail feathers fanned out behind her, as the wind blew her towards the church. As Don expected, she began to sink a bit as she reached the halfway point between the two buildings, even her lightly trying to flap her still developing wings a bit wouldn't be enough to get her to the ledge.
"Leo, she's not going to make it!" He exclaimed, not believing that their leader is standing here, doing nothing and letting the bird he cared for over three weeks and fall. "You need to get here, now! Before her body gives out and forces her to drop!"
"...Just watch, Don." Leo said, keeping his eye on Karasu the whole time. "Watch, then you'll all see what she's capable of accomplishing on her own."
Raphael and Michelangelo were also thinking she wasn't going to make it and wanted to step in to save the small-bird, but Leo is their leader and if this is part of his plan, they have to listen and follow his plan.
As she reached the building, Karasu was five inches below the ledge and there wasn't another ledge to catch her. However, instead of either falling as Don expected to happen or even forcing her body to go around and head for the fire escape from the building next to the church, she started hovering and extended one of her talons out to the wall, her right-talon keeping a firm grip on the walkie-talkie she has to implant for the meeting.
Talons made contact with the hard structure, her wings wrapped themselves on the block and her beak hooked itself in the gap between the two cinder block, making a perfect landing.
The three younger-brothers were stunned, while Leo felt pride swell in his chest. After making certain she had a good grip, Karasu slowly pulled herself up, dragging her left-talon up until it reached the bottom of her beak before lifting her head to have her beak make a grab for part of the next cinder block, her wings moving up with her and still bear hugging the wall.
She definitely got it down.
'Like I said to the others, she learns well when observing.'
Not to mention, some of Pup's short teachings on reaching door knobs, in case Hatch-Sister tries and injures self.
"I can't believe it," Don muttered. "How is she doing it?"
"How else do you think she's able to reach my bedroom door knob, Don?" Leo questioned, as Karasu finally reached the ledge and started hobbling, on one foot, towards one of the gaps of missing stained glass that the Foot Ninjas most likely used to come and go into the church.
The moment she was out of their sights, Leo had his T-Phone connect to the walkie-talkie.
"Can you hear me, Karasu? If you can, make three tapping sounds through the walkie-talkie." A few seconds, three tapping sounds had made it through the device. "Great! Now, what I need you to do, is place the walkie-talkie where it won't fall off and allow us to hear what the Purple Dragons and the Shredder are going to say. You got that? One tap for 'yes', two taps for 'no'."
His brothers looked at him funny, as if he lost his mind and is talking to himself.
"Uh, Leo, I don't think-"
Tap
A single tap came through, silencing Raphael from whatever he was going to say to Leonardo and hearing talons tapping against cement for a moment, before a light thump told the blue-masked turtle she sat the device down, followed by a few tapping sounds. She has completed her second task of the mission.
"Leo, humans and the canine are coming in... I see him." A shiver of fear can be heard in her voice, worrying Leo.
'If Bradford's hearing starts to irritate him from her distress call through clicking, he'll send a ninja to remove her and will see the walkie-talkie.' He quickly whispered a command. "Karasu, hide and seek from the Foot."
Her distress instantly went silent, signaling Leo she went into hiding as he told her
"'Hide and seek'?" Raph questioned, obviously not getting what he means and finding the name ridiculous at a time right now.
"It's a signal for her to remain quiet and to hide in the shadows," Leo explained. "She was letting out her distress call whenever she doesn't feel safe and if Bradford hears her and irritates his heightened sense of hearing, they would remove her and would see the walkie-talkie in the process."
"Listen carefully." The Shredder's voiced caught the turtles by surprised through the walkie-talkie, even going as far as forcing a scream from Mikey before Raph slammed a hand over his face. "Five of you will hijack a tanker on Houston in approximately fifteen minutes. The chemical is extremely rare, so you will not have a second chance."
"Chemical? What chemical?" Raphael questioned, distracting the others from listening to what else Shredder was saying through Leo's T-Phone.
"How about we listen and find out?" Don suggested, annoyed of his older-brother having to talk in the middle of an important conversation being said before them.
"How about I break your shell on my knee?" The red-masked turtle growled out, both he and his younger-brother having a glaring contest until Leo shoved them away from each other.
"Enough, both of you!" He yelled, glaring them down with his piercing gaze that sent shiver down their shells. "Stay quiet for a minute, while we listen in on Shredder's plan!"
"Which will destroy them, once and for all. Now, go."
Missed it!
Kins bickering caused Pup and selves not learn what Enemy plans to do with 'chemical'. What Pup do now?
Leo glared at the two who made them miss the rest of the plot to Shredder's plan, both appeared embarrassed and ashamed for their childish antics to cost them the information.
'First things first.' "Karasu, Shadow Tag."
"…'Shadow Tag'?" Don pondered, wondering where Leo's coming up with certain names for what he's telling Karasu to do.
"I'm telling her to remain hiding and to come right back."
"But why have tag in the name?" Mikey asked, not seeing a small-blur coming out from the hole in the church and gliding down towards them, until the figure bumped against him and hovered in front of the blue-masked turtle until he held up his left-arm. Seeing the figure being Karasu, who seemed thrilled of his and the other's amazed look and, realizing what she did, the orange-masked turtle leant he gotten his answer on his own. "Never mind."
Don came over to examine her, but pulled back when she gave him a hiss and snapped her beak in his direction. She still hadn't forgiven him for doubting her to help out on the mission, and isn't going to forgive him until she see fit.
Down below them, they see Dogpound, Fong and three other Foot ninjas leaving the church, going into a van and taking off to Houston.
"So, now what do we do?" Raph asked Leo, who was memorizing the appearance of the van and the license plate numbers.
"We can't catch up to them by foot." Donnie stated.
With Houston being fifteen minutes away by car, the purple-masked turtle was right. Even if keep were to go after them on his own, which isn't an option, even running on all-fours won't be enough to catch up to Bradford when his body will run out of energy from chasing a vehicle.
What about that patrol buggy Don's been working on?
Leo didn't seem too thrilled about that mismatch contraption his brother has been working on for nearly two months. From what he saw on the blueprints, there are parts that are unable to hold together and missing parts he doesn't have to improve whatever damages some of its components sustained from the junkyard. It's still able to drive and can separate from the other carts but the backseats don't have their own steering wheels, only certain handles on both side beside their legs to only turn the front wheels, and will leak oil if they go over forty on their own.
No choice. Time short, and Pup and Kins must follow like wind. Must stop Mutt, or lose den.
His Instinct is siding with his Conscience, meaning he has to go with the plan, even if he doesn't like it
"We're not going by foot "
Fifteen Minutes Later…
"Yeah, this is rad!" Mikey hollered, riding in the back-right of the buggy behind Raph, waving his arms while they're speeding down the street.
"Leo, it's not ready!" Don screamed, the wind slapping his face as Leo pushed the patrol buggy to go faster.
"I know, Don, but we have no other choice." He called back, taking a sharp turn on the street that'll lead him to Houston.
"This thing is awesome! Does it have a radio?"
"No, it doesn't have a radio!"
"Quiet back there, backseat drivers!" Raph yelled at the two youngest-turtles. Leo didn't say anything, having to remain focus on the road and keep an eye out for any tanker Bradford will be in possession of.
He would try smelling for his scent, but the speed of the patrol buggy made multiple scents slam into his face at the same time and can't separate them when fast wind and oil from the engine keeps getting in the way. The sounds around him, also came down all at once on him.
'Can't use any of my senses to help. All I can do right now, is head for Houston and stop Bradford from reaching his destination.'
He turned another hard left, and this time, he saw the mutated-cannine hanging on to a tanker, being driven by a Foot ninja. The moment they're locked into his field of vision, the truck appeared to escalate in speed towards them. There wasn't any time to turn and they can't afford to damage the patrol buggy, so he has one option to avoid the truck.
"Raph, get ready." Leo warned.
"For what?" Instead of answering, Leo reached for the level to his right and gave it a pull. Instantly, Leo and Mikey separated from Raph and Donnie. Raphael made a quick grab for the wheel in front of him, and both he and Leo went on separate side of the tanker, going around and now following Bradford and his group from behind.
"Leo!" The red-masked turtle yelled, driving beside his blue-masked leader. "You could've been a little more specific!" All Leo did was smirk, before speeding up to the left-side of the tank.
"Leo! I think I figured out Shredder's plan!" Don called out. "Chlorosulfonic Acid reactions violently with water!"
After hearing that small amount of information, Leo understood Shredder's plan as well.
"If he dumps it in the sewers-"
"It'll all be incinerated in seconds, including the Lair!"
Including Father!
Hurry! Must stop Mutt!
"We gotta stop them!" Bradford's team took a hard right, the turtles still keeping up to them, until one of the two ninjas in the back of the black-van opened the door and try to hit them with their kunai knives. 'We need to separate.' "Raph, Don, take care of the van. Mikey, you're with me. We have to stop that tanker."
"Uh, if you haven't noticed, I'm stuck with Raph?" The youngest replied, not noticing the sinister smile on his older-brother's face by his reply.
"No problem." He reached for the level to his left and, like it did for Leo, the two separated from each other. "I see why you did it. That was fun!" Leo did the same with Don, who was more prepared for that to happen and, as Leo ordered, the middle turtles went for the black-van and steered it to another direction, while Mikey followed his leader to the tanker.
"What do we do, Leo?" Mikey called out, as they came closer to the tank. The blue-masked turtle thought about using the grappling hook, but his gut told him to not use it, reminding him of Don's warning of the patrol buggy not being ready and the missing parts it doesn't have to keep proper support. However, if they go in front and force them to stop, Bradford would release the chemical and there would be a chance innocent civilians inside their homes would be in grave danger if any water were to make contact with it.
"We follow him," he answered. "When they stop, we'll take on Bradford."
"Right! Also, Leo, remember he's cal-"
"Dogpound, I know!"
In a few minutes, Bradford seemed to finally had enough. He launched himself off the tank, the Foot ninja forcing the large vehicle to stop sideways nearby a construction site, and tossed a manhole cover at the blue-masked turtle, who launched himself off his cart to avoid the cover and landed safely on his feet, drawing Musashi and Kamiizumi from their scabbards.
"Is that all you got, Mutt?" He taunted, encouraging the mutated-canine to charge, snarling in rage by the name he called him by.
"I'd say that's a no." Mikey answered, pulling his cart to a stop.
"Stick to the plan, Mikey. We need to down Br-… Dogpound." He growled out the name, before charging for Bradford, Mikey joining him from behind. Both launched themselves in the air, readying their weapons to strike.
Mikey got punched from Bradford's right-arm, while Leo brought his weapon down onto the canine's massive left-arm. He couldn't afford to turn his attention to Mikey when he heard the thump behind him, having to dodge the massive blows the mutant before him try to inflict onto his smaller-body. When he tried to make an attack of his own, Leo ended up being uppercut and forced to the ground by one of his paw-like feet. Mikey rejoined the fight and kicked their opponent on the head, before he could've stabbed Leo with one of his stoned-claws on his knuckles.
Whether they switch from attacking to defending, double teaming or even switching each other on who will take him on while protecting their brother from nearly getting pummeled to death, neither of their weapons are able to get through Bradford's tough defense of stone. And thanks to his own training at becoming a skilled ninja from Oroku Saki, his quick reflexes prevent the two turtles from getting any blindspots they tried to exploit.
When Leonardo and Michelangelo ended up tossed to the reconstructing building, Leo grabbed for his own smoke bomb and tossed it to the ground, surrounding him and his brother in the purple-smoke and using their cover to get to higher ground to catch their breath for a moment.
*Hiss!*
The tanker released air, drawing their attention to the ground and watching the Foot ninja bringing a red-hose from it's compartment to the opened hole to the sewers.
"Don't let him dump that acid!" Leo ordered, before Bradford jumped to their hiding spot and damaged the platform when both turtles jumped. The mutated-Akita Inu turned his attention on Mikey, which earned him a firm kick from the blue-masked turtle. "Eyes on me, Mutt!"
Bradford snapped his jaws at the turtle, snarling at the name he's been given. Leo pulled himself back, grabbing on to a pipe that held a tarp over the wood to prevent rain to get on the equipment, snarling right back at his enemy. He was just about to make a swipe of his paw, when he heard Mikey's war cry and saw him preventing the Foot ninja from completing the meeting. Frustrated, he jumped back down to the road and turned his focus on stopping the orange-masked turtle.
That earn him a near swipe of an ear off his head, if he didn't duck on time to avoid Leonardo's blades.
"What did I just say, Mutt?" Hearing that name a second time made Bradford so furious, he grabbed a nearby car* and swung it to try and crush the turtle with it. In five smashes and the turtle ducking and jumping to avoid being hit, the small vehicle was nothing but a pile of junk and metal on the ground. Leo made an attempt to inflict pain to the left-arm when his opponent's temporary weapon went down, but it's pretty clear both of Dogpound's limbs are more stone than flesh underneath that fur and has come to realize that his weakness is getting the underbelly and attacking where dog's can't take the pain, which is their muzzles and neck-area.
Bradford grabbed at the turtle's neck and tossed him towards the tanker, where he collided with his brother after he just finished his fight with the Foot ninja. They fell before the side of the tanker, before getting right back up and going from opposite sides to dodge one of Dogpound's punch. He turns his attention back to Leonardo, both glaring each other down. Their canine instincts made them feel more aggressive to their opponents, each telling the other to keep fighting for dominance and prove who's top dog, or wolf, of New York City.
Leo brought down Kamiizumi, which ended being trapped by the stone-claws on Dogpound's left-knuckle. Then, tried attacking with Musashi, only to have the stone-cover claw to grab at his wrist and, with overpowering strength, forced the turtle off his feet. His shell hit the tanker.
*Shhhhhh*
He looked up when he heard the sound of liquid running, seeing that his sword has went through the metal with ease and has released the Chlorosulfonic Acid from its containment. Fear flashed in his eyes, before staring at Bradford and, with fear replaced by anger, swiftly kicked the mutated-canine underneath his snout. The kick stunned Bradford, forcing out a yelp when the foot made contact with his nose and unable to block another kick, forcing the mutant to release the turtle and back away to recover from the two painful kick to his sensitive snout.
Leo yanked Musashi from the tank, causing the the chemical to gush out when it made a bigger hold to appear for it to come out. His enemy merely stared at the chemical, then began to walk away, thinking the plan will still succeed and the turtles won't be able to stop the Chlorosulfonic Acid from reaching the uncovered sewer.
'Now what?' The blue-masked turtle felt the need to chase down Bradford, drag him to the sewer and toss him inside, so he will end up killed by his master's own plan. However, now wasn't the time to kill and now is the time to save their home and Master Splinter.
Don said it'll explode the moment it contacts with water. Quickly, find water and use it, before it reaches the sewers!
There are no fire hydrants nearby, and the closest one was nearly a block away from where they are right now. Luckily, he knows where he can find water.
"Mikey, throw the water balloon!"
"Uh, what water balloon?" Mikey asked, trying to act innocent and uncertain what his brother was saying. He didn't have time to mess around.
"The one you were gonna hit me with?" The orange-masked turtle looked over his shoulder, staring at the yellow water balloon he was intending to throw at Leo when he would finally beat Dogpound and stop the chemical from destroying their home, intending to keep hold on his promise to get him. Even as a ninja, himself, he's still stunned on how his big brother knew he has the water balloon with him.
"Dud, you are good."
As Leo ordered him to do, Mikey tossed the water balloon at the chemical. The very moment he tossed it, Leo grabbed his brother and ran the two of them as far away from the tanker as he could on his legs. He glared at Bradford, smirking at the dog-mutant for not realizing what they just did and when his ears caught a high-pitch sound that the leader heard, it was already too late. The force of the blast pushed Leo and Mikey over the destroyed car Bradford used to attack the blue-masked leader, while the enemy barely made it with the ends of his fur singed.
Leonardo and Michelangelo got up from their cover, watching the flame consume the tanker. His heart still raced from the feeling of the heat nearly touching his skin, let alone the thought on what it could've done in the sewers when seeing how big the flames were from just a small water balloon. He looked over to his brother, smiling in relief that he's alright and made a great aim on the Chlorosulfonic Acid.
"Nice on-…"
Grab and throw!
Leo's ears caught the sound of water, adding up to what his Instinct was telling him to do. The moment Mikey threw the pink water balloon, Leo raised his hand to grasp it, forced himself to leap and tossed it right back to Mikey, soaking him in the process. The youngest turtle was stunned on what just happened, his brain needing time to catch on what just happened.
"How did you know I had two?!" He asked, eyes still wide-eyed from the fire and his big brother backfiring his balloon at him.
"Who else gave you the idea on how to carry more than one item with you, Mikey?" Leo answered with his own question, crossing his arms and giving him a smirk on his face on how obvious he figured out his brother's little scheme as Dr. Prank-enstein. His eyes zoomed in on some of the lights in apartments turning on, his eyes flashing in concern of human's heading for their windows and doors to see what just happened. His ears and nose picked up Raphael and Donatello running for them. "We need to go. Before the humans sees us."
Immediately, the four turtles ran for the shadows, heading for another manhole cover around the next block before any humans saw what's outside of their homes.
Back in the Lair…
"Nothing says victory like the sweet taste of pizza." Mikey declared, as he, Raph and Don went to grab a slice of pizza. Leo sat on the other couch, Karasu on his arm, not bothering to some pizza for him.
"This pizza smells kinda funky." Donnie stated, who noticed an odd scent on the food after taking a bite of his own slice. "Where'd you get it?"
"It's the one April threw out, when she was heading back to her Aunt's." Instantly, the two older brothers tossed their slices aside, spitting out whatever part of the pizza they had in their mouths and gagging from the sudden stench they have in their mouth. "What? We live in a sewers. Now you're clean freaks? Huh. More for me." Michelangelo helped himself to the other slices his brothers threw aside, enjoying his meal with ease.
Leo's stomach felt sick all of a sudden, which he instantly got to his feet and made way to their only bathroom to empty what little he has in his stomach, with Karasu hitching a ride on his shoulder and witnessing the ill-moment her big brother's going through. As he expected, only some bile and a few meals he had nearly three days ago was all that appeared in the toilet. Even after all that, his stomach still acted like it still had something in it and left him gagging for a whole minute.
"Big Brother? Are you okay?" Karasu asked, nuzzling her beak against his uninjured cheek when he finally stopped gagging and now was simply catching his breath.
"…I'm okay, Karasu." He answered, getting back up to his feet and flushing the toilet. in the mirror, his face appeared a bit clammy and much more tired than he ever felt.
"Why Older-Brother Mikey eat human food, from silver cans?" She wondered, as Leo washed his face before making his way out from the bathroom.
"He has an unusual eating habit, so he'll eat whatever satisfies his hunger." He re-entered the living room, seeing Raph tackling Mikey for making them eating the pizza that April throughout in the garbage can, while Don remained on the couch and turned his head when he felt their big brother rejoining them.
He got off from his spot and came over to the blue-masked turtle, who went back to his spot on the couch.
"You okay, bro?" Don asked, placing a hand over Leo's forehead, feeling for any signs of illness.
"I'll live," he answered. "Although, I'm not sure how long Mikey will be alright if Raph decides to flatten him from his weight."
Raph heard his brother's words and, while he prefers to keep the youngest pinned to the grind until he says his mercy, he got right off the orange-masked turtle.
"My sons." All four turtles turned to Master Splinter, as he entered the living room. "I owe you my gratitude… And an apology."
"'An apology'? Why that, Sensei?" Don questioned.
"Fear clouded your minds. However, it was not the Shredder that fueled that fear, but me. -His eyes turned to Leonardo, flashing regret for raising a paw at him when he did what was right.- "You overcame that fear, and performed admirably." He lifted his head up high, proud of his sons for saving their home, and himself. "No training today…" Raphael and Donatello cheered from Splinter's verdict, ready to properly relax of no training. "Unless Michelangelo throws that balloon."
All eyes turned to Michelangelo, who was ready to toss a blue water balloon at their father when his back was turned. His smiled nervously at Raph and Don, both glaring at him and charging at him.
"You're so going to get it!" The two older brothers chased the youngest in the Lair, as Leo remained sitting on the couch.
"Leonardo..." Splinter started, watching his oldest stroking Karasu's feathers and watching his three brothers chasing each other. He knew what Splinter was going to say, and didn't want the humanoid-rat to bring up the mistake he made when he already admitted his own mistake to the others.
"You've already apologized, Sensei." He said, not looking at his master but still holding respect for the one who raised him and is a part of by DNA. "All has been forgiven... There's no need to wallow in guilt, anymore."
His words held much wisdom and understanding, it surprised the fifty year-old father of how much maturity his eldest-son has, compared to his brother. However, no matter how mature they'll end up, they're always going to be his babies... And for that, he's always going to worry for them all.
TBC
*: Yes, I know it was a dumpster Dogpound used, but I think there should've been some destruction of other people's property. Also, when the tanker exploded, I'm surprised no humans came out to see what happened and/or see any of the human's belongings outside of their homes didn't get burn to a crisp.
Times like these, I wish I could draw this story into a comic... If anybody feels the same way and wants to take a crack at it, go ahead (so long you make sure the readers know who made the story, ownership right on who made the show [obviously] and where to find the story on fanfiction). If you want to do that, please ask me and let me know.
R&R