Here we go, everybody. I'm really excited for this arc, but I'm also nervous because I hope it will turn out as good as it sounds in my head. However, no way to know except to try!
PLEASE READ: I'm giving you this chapter early because I love you all, but don't forget that I'm getting married on March 30th, and so I'll be on my honeymoon the whole first week of April. Meaning I won't be uploading a chapter during then as I'll be on vacation.
Just wanted to let you all know so you don't think I'm neglecting ya'll!
The afterlife was a drab place.
This was one of the more prevalent thoughts running through the particular dead spirit floating through it. Yes, he'd endured torments as punishment for his evil (more like ambition), however, he couldn't help the stray thought that this particular circle of hell could use some livening up. He'd always been partial to luxurious accommodations, even ones as primitive as the humans enjoyed, and so the dark space surrounding him, so cold, and yet burning with icy flames that licked at his body providing endless pain just seemed so….drab. Maybe this static state of existence was part of the torture. He wasn't sure, all he knew was the ones responsible for bringing him so low deserved to die. Multiple times over. In fact, if he could arrange for them to die and then resuscitated, all so he could torment them again, humbling the cretins to the point of their spirits snapping into little pieces, he'd gladly pay the entire fortune he'd amassed over the centuries to whoever could make that dream come true.
If he had teeth he'd gnash them, as it was as a disembodied spirit doomed to an eternity of torment, he'd settle with a shrieking snarl.
He wanted revenge.
Revenge on those freaks of nature, petulant mistakes born out of sheer coincidence, and their disgusting rat of a master. He longed for the opportunity to squeeze the life out of their writhing bodies, watching them slowly surrender as darkness overtook them. He was already sentenced to eternity here, what would one more blot on his record really do? The spirit grinned maliciously, exposing sharp teeth, oh yes, he'd do anything for just one more chance to stomp their smug faces into the dirt. Anything.
"Hello,"
The spirit jerked, his torment interrupted by a smooth, sultry feminine voice. Jerking to his right, he noticed a black fox with a silver stripe down its back. Its feet were surrounded by blue flame, even as its copper eyes glowed with power. The strange animal seemed immune to the afterlife, untouched by the fire surrounding him. This was both intriguing and irritating, and the spirit immediately wanted to take advantage of it, "Who are you," the spirit sneered, "and why are you here?"
"I merely wish to make a proposition," she replied, giving an ebony paw a dainty lick, "we both share a certain enemy, and I wish to make him regret ever defying my will. However, I'm not strong enough on my own to contain him, and thus require a partner."
The spirit scoffed, "Do you know how many enemies I have?" He spat with a dark chuckle, "Most of them I don't even remember, no more than I remember the bug I crush beneath my boot, what makes you think you're worth my time?"
The fox grinned, tawny eyes sparkling, as she licked her chops before purring, "Does the name 'Leonardo' mean anything to you?"
Visions of a blue mask, incomparable ninja skill, and gleaming twin katana seared its way across the spirit's mind's eye. He snarled in frustration, eyes narrowing as a homicidal rage overwhelmed him, "I may know one called by that name," he hissed, teeth bared as he seethed.
The fox smirked at the reaction, pleased that her plan was going as well as she'd anticipated, "He's the one I wish to break." She stated, curling a fluffy obsidian tail around her paws.
Break, what a pleasant word when applied to his most hated enemy, "Then," the spirit snarled, face twisting into a smile dripping with malice, "what do you have in mind?"
"My plan is simple," she replied, "just recently I was able to drain him of precious life energy, the quality of which has broadened my powers considerably. Using his own life force, I intend to capture him and drain the rest of it out of him."
"That's all?" The spirit cackled, amused at her limited ambition, "Your plan lacks vision," he sighed, "do you know how many times I've had him and his wretched brothers in my grasp, only spot watch my plans burn as they escape?"
The fox gave an annoyed flick of her tail, "I'm aware," she growled lowly.
"Then merely killing him won't be satisfying enough, at least not for me," the spirit sniffed, "no, if I am going to go through the trouble of capturing Leonardo, I intend to break him properly. He's too annoying of an enemy to simply capture and kill, he deserves to suffer."
Copper eyes glowed as interest took hold, "Go on?"
"I have an idea," the spirit stated, voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone, "a way in which we both would benefit, and still achieve our ultimate goal of removing Leonardo from the equation."
Something evil glittered in the dark reaches of the spirit's gaze, and the fox was drawn to it. Their souls connected in a unified surge of bloodlust, making the very air around them crackle with electricity. "Well," she smiled, "I'm listening."
"Very good," the spirit nodded, "however, I'd rather know who I'll be working with before we begin?"
"You may call me, Kitsune," the fox answered with a toss of her head.
"And you may call me….Oroku Saki,"
….
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Michelangelo's voice broke the still night air, the youngest strolling across the rooftop as they played a round of ninja hide and seek.
Leonardo ducked under a beam, clambering up a set of scaffolding before disappearing into a dark corner. They'd chosen a construction site for their game, as it provided lots of potential hiding spots. The eldest was making his way to a concrete truck, planning to crawl up the tube that the concrete was poured out of. He wasn't going to stay there long, as this time they added the twist that they could change hiding spots as many times as they wanted, just as long as they weren't caught. The only catch was they had to stay within the designated space, for example, the construction site. Even one toe out of bounds, and they were out of the game. Plus, of course, the seeker had to catch anyone he found to successfully tag them out of the game, providing they don't escape to a new hiding place. It made each round last longer and had the added benefit of stealth training. The younger brothers grabbed onto the new concept with enthusiasm, and Leo was happy to have found a new way to train his brothers that was both fun, and beneficial.
Finally reaching his destination, silent feet braced on either side of the metal tube, climbing up as the eldest contorted himself into a somewhat precarious position. This way he could simultaneously hide and watch Mikey's movements at the same time.
It was roughly a week since his episode in the kitchen, and not only had Leo still not confessed his new abilities to his brothers, but he also had not explained his current mood to them. Physically he was feeling better, with his heart issues under control, and the life force he'd lost to the fox spirit finally regained enough that he could walk without getting dizzy. Unfortunately, his mind was growing darker, the prolonged stay in the lair and being confined to his bed making the melancholy worsen, till Leonardo was even starting to scare himself. He wasn't sure how to fix it, convinced that it couldn't be fixed, because the only way to resolve the issue was by fixing him, and the blue ninja didn't think that was possible. The constant anxiety that he was treading on thin ice haunted him. A strange paranoia that he couldn't mess up again, screaming that he was running out of chances to prove himself worthy before he lost his place in the family, gnawing in the back of his mind. The eldest wasn't sure where the fear came from, but he had a feeling it'd been there a while, clawing in the darkest corners of his subconscious. The sensation similar to the sound of the chewing of a mouse inside the wall. He couldn't escape it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
So, when Leonardo suggested some training topside, and said request was approved by their father, the entire lair cheered up. Needless to say, they all needed some lighthearted fun after the last few weeks.
"Hmm, where could they be?" The youngest teased playfully, always happy to be the seeker as he loved proving his speed and agility to his brothers, "I bet I know!"
Leo lowered himself slowly, hanging upside down in the tube, and snickered softly when he saw Mikey walking towards Raph's hiding spot. The brawler had chosen the upraised bucket of the bulldozer, a rather obvious spot, but Leo wasn't one to criticize. Michelangelo hopped up the arm of the machine, scrambling to the top, before casting a steely grin at the second oldest, "Poor choice, Raphael," he mocked.
"I'll show ya poor choice, ya lamebrain!"
Like crimson lightening, Raph leapt from the bucket, landing nimbly on the balls of his feet before darting to the left towards a forest of scaffolding. He intended to lose the youngest in the confining space of the narrow walkways. However, the leader gave a fond sigh, that was only going to backfire on the hothead, as usual. Mikey made efficient work of the platforms, his body flipping and rolling as he worked his parkour skills to their maximum. The red ninja tried to keep away, ducking and weaving between metal poles, whirling as he tried to put their defensive maneuvers to use, only to find the youngest easily keeping pace. Raphael gave a frustrated growl, spinning around a pile of wooden pallets, desperately trying to put some distance between himself and the baby, but it was pointless. There was a reason that Mikey was considered the fastest of the four of them on land. Combine that with the youngest's agility, and the brawler didn't stand a chance.
Sapphire eyes sparkling with amusement, Leo considered the two siblings, the ways in which they were similar and how they differed. The differences between red and orange were blatant, that while still at play Raph held a grim seriousness that usually gave him a competitive edge; on the other hand, Mikey was a prankster who didn't stress the small stuff, his playful nature allowing him to utilize all his natural gifts in a solid symphony of movement. However, both brothers were a force to be reckoned with, and often caused sparks when they clashed, but even when either pushed the other too far, they still would die protecting each other. Loyal, loving, and devoted, the brothers wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on their sibling, even if they were furious with said brother at the time. Something Leo deeply appreciated about his team.
With a flamboyant twirl, Mikey finally caught Raphael, then wrapping his arms around the hothead's waist, pulled him flush against his plastron and proceeded to bully the brawler into ballroom dancing with him. Laughter bubbled up from Leonardo's throat, and the eldest was relieved to find himself still capable of giggling as he watched the sight of Raph desperately trying to escape, with Michelangelo consistently recapturing him back into the dance. A snorted cackle echoed from the rafters of the scaffolding, giving away Donnie's hiding place, but it was worth it. Raphael's face was as red as his mask at this point, whether from embarrassment or fury, Leo didn't know, probably both.
"Wow, Raphie, you're so light on your feet!" Donnie called, finishing it off with a wolfish whistle.
"I know," Leo chimed in, allowing the moment to veil the melancholy he'd been battling, "somebody call dancing with the stars, because I think we found a real contender here!"
Mikey grinned, delighted that he was providing quality entertainment, "I mean, who could resist?" The youngest snickered, throwing Raphael into an elaborate twirl, "The way he was spinning around the poles, he was practically begging for a chance on the dance floor!"
At this, Donatello raised his shell cell to the sky, the speaker belting out I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the genius swaying in time with the beat. Raphael, for his part, was still trying his hardest to escape. He'd push Mikey away and go for a roll, only to find that the youngest went into a low crouch as if he were dancing a tango and pull the brawler back into the movements that only Michelangelo knew. Leo was guffawing by now, his upside-down position making him dizzy, prompting the eldest to drop into the tube and slide down to the dirt as he giggled. The blue ninja scrambled to turn over, raising sparkling eyes back up to the show. Raphael performed a leg sweep, wanting to trip the youngest so he could run away, but he didn't expect Michelangelo to go into a stylish backflip. Landing on the balls of his feet, the orange ninja snatched the back of Raphael's belt as the older turtle made a run for it, and just as the song playing on the shell cell came to an end, yanked the red masked ninja into a deep dip.
"Will ya lemme go already?!" Raphael slapped his way out of Mikey's grip, landing on his shell, and hurriedly crab walking backwards beyond the youngest's reach.
"Aw," Mikey whined, "my dance partner got away."
"Too bad," Leonardo chuckled, "I was enjoying the show."
His younger brothers immediately turned to cast shocked eyes on the eldest, only just noticing that he had joined in on the fun, and Leo shrunk in guilt as he acknowledged their surprise. He knew he hadn't been pleasant to be around lately, what with the pervasive sorrow and shame that wouldn't go away. Leo also knew that he should have talked to them about it months ago, because he was spiraling as bad as he had that time he'd started overtraining again and almost died as a result. Shoulders hunched self-consciously, and the blue ninja bit his bottom lip as anxiety made his heart rate speed up. He just couldn't talk to them about it, though. Yes, they wanted to give him support and love, but those things really belonged to a leader worthy of them. He didn't deserve any of that, not with how much he'd messed up lately.
It won't be long before you mess up again.
Leo winced at the stray thought searing across his mind, even though he couldn't deny its validity. It wouldn't be long, of that, he was sure. Turning back to his brothers, the eldest opened his mouth to suggest they hide again, as they'd all been discovered due to the spontaneous dance number but found himself freezing when something unexpected occurred.
'Leonardo' a familiar voice whispered on the wind, driving away the last remnants of the eldest's happy mood, 'I'm coming for you, Leonardo.'
"Who," the leader gasped, voice lowering to a whisper, "who are you?"
'An old friend…'
Suddenly Leonardo's body was slammed by a wave of ice cold, and an evil force rippling through the air like a black cloud settled over his prone form. A dark premonition stole over the eldest's heart and Leo rolled out of the way, now finding that he, instead of Raph, was caught in a game of chase. But this one seemed much deadlier. However, the problem with outrunning a spirit was that it didn't have to worry about the limitations of the physical world. It followed close behind, and the leader found himself copying the brawler in a bid to lose it in the scaffolding, only to chide himself when it merely passed through the steel and wooden structures with little difficulty.
As he ran, Leonardo tried to use his new gift to analyze the apparition, but grimaced when he noticed it had no threads attached whatsoever. It was a being from beyond reality, or disconnected to the point that it lost all its ties to the living realm. So, a malevolent spirit? But why was it seemingly only after him? Was it connected to his new powers, or something else entirely? Leo ducked under a wooden platform, skidding across the dirt in a low crouch, straining to lose the dark mass. Digging his toes into the shallow gravel, the eldest sprinted at full speed across the site, his brothers close behind.
"Leo?!" Donnie's startled voice cut through the night air, all previous joviality erased, "What is that thing?!"
So, they could see it too? Good to know. It'll make the explanation that much easier on why he's running like he had a demon on his heels. Which he very well might, "Don't come close!" Leo commanded, using every ounce of big brother and leader authority that he could muster, "I don't know what it wants, and we can't fight a spirit!"
"Like shell we can't!" Raph bellowed.
With a roar, the hothead jumped into the fray, intercepting the black cloud, attempting to slice it with his sai. Instead, the onyx fog wrapped itself around Raphael's arm, traveling up it like a snake, before pouring itself into the brawler's open mouth. Leonardo, skidding to a stop and whirling around, reached out for his sibling, sapphire eyes wide with fear, "RAPH!"
The red ninja fell to his knees, calloused fingers digging into his scalp, writhing as the fog absorbed into his body, "No…..NO!" Raph screamed, twitching as he resisted, "Get out….get….out!"
"Mike!" Donnie exclaimed, "Didn't you say that Master Splinter is teaching you to expel evil spirits?!"
"Yeah, but he hasn't taught it to me yet!" The youngest retorted, helpless agony shining through the baby blue gaze.
"Raphael!" Leo cried, once again reaching out for his sibling.
He didn't know what to do! Raphael was under attack and once again he was useless! Why hadn't he considered learning about fighting off evil spirits when he was laid up? Or at least studied more into spiritual matters? The eldest gave himself a mental kick. He'd been training Mikey in the astral plane, and they'd done some rudimentary barriers that would repel most low-level spirits, but only while meditating, their techniques were useless out in the real world! They weren't ready for a threat of this magnitude, especially unprepared and unable to fight back. If only they still had the amulets that the tribunal gave them, then maybe they could muster up some mystic energy, but that was gone too. What can he do? How does he save his brother?!
Suddenly, with one last agonized wail, Raphael fell to the ground on his hands and knees. Broad shoulders shuddering and twitching, even as his body gave discomforting cracks and pops, as if something foreign were settling into his very bones. The turtle siblings waited with bated breath, unsure if their hotheaded brother had driven it from his body or was now a prisoner of an unknown entity. Topaz eyes lifted to look at his siblings, but they didn't belong to Raphael anymore, because Leo watched in shock as the liquid gold darkened to obsidian.
A malicious grin, unsuited to the brawler, twisted the normally gruff features in a macabre smile overflowing with bloodlust, "Not quite the one I was aiming for," Raph's voice said, its timbre distorted, as if two voices were speaking at the same time, and one of them were chillingly familiar, "but I'll take it all the same."
"Please, don't tell me that is who I think it is?" Mikey whimpered, edging closer to Leo.
"The Shredder," Donnie breathed, horror that their worst enemy was now inhabiting their brother's body.
"No," Leonardo shook his head, a shiver running down his spine, "no way, it can't be."
"Oh, but it is!" The spirit spoke through Raphael, brandishing his right arm in a show of victory, "Back from the dead, and ready to kill, starting with this one!"
Reaching down the the brawler's belt, Oroku Saki slid one of the sai free, and then slowly brought it up to Raph's neck. The deadly point gleaming in the moonlight as it caused a bead of blood to slowly trail down the red ninja's Adam's apple, "I wonder how long it will take him to bleed out?" The Shredder cackled, making the turtle brothers shudder at the way he twisted Raph's voice, "Shouldn't take very long, I'm sure, then I can come after each of you, until your entire family is wiped out."
No, nononono. This couldn't be happening. Not like this. The eldest felt panic numbing his body as terror overwhelmed his senses. He needed to save Raph, but how? Saki had them at his mercy, Leo was caught at an impasse while the Shredder had them at checkmate. How can he turn the situation around in their favor? The leader's keen mind raced through his options, imagining every possible scenario and their potential outcomes. Nothing, nothing ended in all of them making it out alive. However, there was one way to go that would save his brothers and buy them time to earn Splinter so they could move lairs before the Shredder caught up to them. Granted, his brothers would be angry, and he very likely wouldn't survive, but his family would make it out and that's what really mattered. The blue ninja could only hope that their old enemy would agree to it.
"Wait!" Leo jumped forward, holding his hands out in a pleading gesture, "You said you weren't after Raph, right?"
Raphael's stolen eyes narrowed as a dark cunning glittered in their depths, "Indeed," the Shredder stated, tone smug.
"Then, how about a trade?"
Donatello and Michelangelo gasped, both screaming out their disagreement.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Leonardo, don't you DARE!"
The leader shook his head, silencing them with a stern glance, before turning back to their hated enemy, "I'll give you unlimited access to me for three days, and in exchange, you release my brother. Do we have a deal?"
"I could," the spirit murmured, stroking the borrowed chin, "but wouldn't it be more fun to watch you squirm as I slowly destroy your brother, piece by piece?"
He didn't have a move here; everything rode on the Shredder taking him up on his offer. He couldn't let Raph stay as a prisoner of the enemy they hated most, but he also couldn't save him. The only person capable of saving Raphael was their father, and he wasn't here! He needed to buy his family time to get away and build a form of defense against spirits, and the only way to do that was to force the Shredder's hand into going through with the swap. It was a sound plan, but it still hung on the Shredder's agreement.
"Please," Leonardo slowly knelt, putting himself into a dogeza, bowing his forehead to the ground, "release my brother."
At first silence, and then Raphael's mouth expelled a harsh bark of laughter, "How amusing!" Saki cackled, "To see the proud Leonardo humble himself before me! You should hear your brother; he's positively disgusted with your behavior."
Leo flinched, clenching his eyes shut in shame, but maintained his bow. Michelangelo, however, scoffed, "Mad, maybe, but not disgusted."
"And he wouldn't be mad at Leo, either!" Donnie threw in, both younger brothers angry at the emotional manipulation, "He's probably ticked at himself for getting possessed in the first place, but he wouldn't be angry at Leo, so stop telling lies!"
Were they lies, though? At this point in his spiral Leonardo wasn't sure of much. He still knew his family loved him, still knew that they'd do anything for him, but there has been an icicle of fear slowly inching its way into the fleshy pulse of his heart. It whispered dark words of doubt, stating that his family didn't need him, and that if he messed up one more time he'd be abandoned. Cast out. He had to stay perfect, had to maintain perfect control, or he'd lose his place. He couldn't afford to hurt his family again. Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.
"Shredder," Leonardo stated lowly, "all I'm asking is a trade for three days. Understand? You can do whatever you want to me, and I won't resist or try to escape."
"And after three days?" Saki queried, "Do you expect me to simply release you?"
Yeah, what happens after three days?! Leo didn't know. He didn't want to put the burden on his family to save him, even though he knew they would try to do so. He had to give their enemy something, though! "You can kill me," he finally said, words falling as heavy as lead from his lips.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Michelangelo exploded, Donnie not far behind.
"Of all the STUPID-!"
The shredder simply smirked, "What's to stop me from killing you now? Why should I take this deal?"
"Because I know you, Shredder," Leo growled into the dirt, hands clenching into fists, "and just killing us would be too easy and unsatisfying for you. I'm the one you want, right? To make me suffer for stopping all your plans? Well, here I am! You and I both know you never stop until you get what you want, I'm just speeding up the process."
"Leo, stop!" Donatello bellowed, trembling hands struggling to push the eldest up from his bow, "This isn't how we win; it can't be!"
"Yeah, bro!" Mikey cried, "There has to be another way!"
Leo suddenly sat up, sending Donnie reeling, and barked out a harsh, "ENOUGH!" Pinning his brothers with desperate, grieved sapphire eyes, "I know it's a bad deal, but what choice do I have?! He has Raph's life in his hands!"
"And what about your life?!" Donnie bellowed, "I can't stand here and choose one over the other, Leo!"
The blue ninja's shoulders slumped, the sorrow etched into his little brother's faces yet another blow to how badly he'd failed them again, "Better him saved than me," Leonardo stated simply.
"Better him than-?!" Michelangelo squawked, "What kind of crap answer is that?!"
"An honest one!" Their leader bit back, "Its either he kills Raph now or he kills me in three days, but I can't stand by and let him take my little brother, and I'd do the same for either of you. I'm the leader, and it's my job to keep you all safe, at least this way we have a chance!"
Donnie went silent, understanding lightening his brown gaze. Yes, now the genius understood. Leo was giving them three days to come up with a plan of attack. To escape and find a way to protect themselves. It wasn't perfect, but they'd have the ability to tell their father what happened, Master Splinter can take them somewhere safe and strategize a rescue, while Mikey can have time to learn how to expel dark spirits. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could do. Turning back to the enemy wearing his brother's skin, Leo drew a steadying breath.
"So, do you accept?"
Shredder pursed Raphael's lips, considering the offer, then gave a dark chuckle, "On one condition," he said.
Leonardo restrained himself from giving an impatient growl, "What?" He spat.
"No rescue attempts for those three days," Saki demanded, "I get to have you at my mercy for the entire three days, and then at a place of my choosing, you may make your last stand. However, if I see any of your wretched family during those three days, your life is forfeit."
A final battle? "You'd rather fight than kill me?" Leo queried, confused that the Shredder would give up such a perfect opportunity.
"Oh, I'll still kill you, little kame," Saki grinned, "but as noble as your sacrifice may be, that won't slake my thirst for your family's blood. However, in honor of your cooperation, I'll allow you the opportunity of one final clash between our clans."
"Will I be fighting as myself?" The eldest asked, knowing in his heart that it won't be true.
"Maybe," the Shredder shrugged, "that depends on you, Leonardo."
The eldest resisted the urge to bite his bottom lip, straining to retain the visage of confident leader. There were too many variables, too many ways this could go horrifyingly wrong. But it was just like he'd said earlier, he didn't have a choice. He could only put himself in harm's way, protecting his brothers as their shield, and hope Mikey learns the technique well enough to save him before he got them all killed. Besides, maybe this way he finally earn his place in the family and be allowed to stay. Giving a heavy swallow, Leonardo finally gave a hesitant nod.
"Fine, I'll accept your conditions."
The sai finally left its position at Raphael's throat as the Shredder grinned, "Very good, then let's get started."
The brawler jolted as the wave of black mist burst from his mouth and eyes, leaving the red ninja to fall limply to the ground, like a marionette deprived of its strings. The dark cloud surrounded Leo, swirling around him like a snake, even as the eldest shuddered at the chill the spirit brought with it. In a flash, the Shredder forced himself through Leo's mouth and began to take over his body. Donnie and Mikey screamed, unable to contain their horror, as Leonardo's body convulsed. His muscles twitched and spasmed in revulsion, the turtle trying to maintain control even though the deal was to allow Saki to take over. It was a lost cause though, because soon enough the leader fell face first into the dirt.
As darkness crept into the edges of his vision, Leo saw Raph slowly open his eyes, blessed gold free of the inky black meeting his own. Weakly the brawler shook his head, a silent plea moving tired lips, "No….don't do this…."
Leonardo merely gave his brother a sad smile, and mouthed back, "I have to,"
Then sapphire gave way to onyx, and with the same disturbing round of pops and cracks, the Shredder was in the driver's seat.
…
Raphael groaned as he heaved himself back up to his knees, his rage sputtering under the weight of the terror enveloping his heart at the sight of his brother now standing over him with midnight black eyes. Hopelessness, an emotion that the brawler wasn't familiar with, weighed on his shoulders making Raph slump.
"Leo," he breathed.
The eldest's stolen face glanced down at the red ninja, and Raph couldn't help but flinch. While held captive in his own body, Raphael was forced to relive his worst moments, every regret, every time they almost died, he went through it all over again. Felt the pain from those memories as if they were real, was sliced open and battered, laid low and defeated. Then the Shredder got creative, and the brawler had been locked in a veritable torture chamber. In the scant few minutes that he listened to Leo bargaining for his life, Raph was destroyed piece by piece. He couldn't even find the strength to stand, and yet, he needed to. Leonardo was now at the Shredder's mercy, and he would be for the next three days unless he found the strength to get up and stop it.
He needed to stop this, but how? The Shredder would just body jump again, and then it could be Mikey or Donnie that he holds captive, only this time he might actually kill them instead of standing around to talk. They were outmatched, and there was very little they could do about it.
"Remember," Shredder's cold malice melded with Leo's kind voice was a disturbing thing to hear, "you don't come anywhere near us for three days, and if I see even the slightest green smudge on my security cameras, I kill him."
"Where do we meet you, then?" Donnie asked sullenly, anger battling with grief, making his eyes positively murderous.
Saki paused, turning his borrowed body to look around him, before pointing out the Foot tower, "How about where it all began? At the top of my tower, I'll meet you there in three days at midnight."
With one last dark chuckle, Leonardo was gone, under the control of their worst enemy, and possibly lost forever. Donatello knelt next to the brawler, forcing the scarred head up so to shine a light in his pupils, "Raph, can you understand me?" He asked, voice sharp and clinical, "I need you to talk to me, bro."
"He…he's got Leo," Raph stammered, gold eyes blank and devoid of their usual fire, "he's gonna torture him, we can't let shredder keep Leo, Donnie, ya don't know what he can do!"
"We're not going to let him keep Leo," Donatello snarled as he continued his field physical.
"But, dude," Mikey broke in, "what about the deal? You heard Shred-head, if we try to rescue Leo, he'll kill him!"
"Only if we're caught," the genius stated, eyes narrow, the brown orbs dark with fury.
"We can't take that chance!" Mikey bellowed, "It's bad enough we have to let Leo be that jerk's body for three days, I'm not gonna get him killed!"
"We're ninja," Donnie spat, "we take care of our own, and I'm not letting him torture my leader!"
"So, what do you suggest we do?" The youngest pleaded, baby blue gaze shattered.
"Not get caught, for one thing," the purple ninja breathed, leaning forward so to touch foreheads with the still shaken Raphael, "and talk to father as soon as possible.
"Leo was trying to give us a message," Donatello continued, "he's buying us time, particularly you, to prepare for a spiritual battle as well as a physical one. You're going to learn how to expel a dark spirit, because we both know he won't just release Leo, and Raph and I are going to orchestrate a stealth operation where we get into Foot Headquarters. Saki will have his guard down, expecting us to stay away for the sake of our brother, that's when we strike."
Raphael heard this, searching for that familiar fury that would usually be pounding through his heart, thrumming to the beat of battle, but found it scarily absent. He was still trapped in the dark with the Shredder, and if he was like this after only five minutes, what state would Leo be in when they finally get him back?
Whoo-boy, things are heating up. I hope you liked this chapter! I know it's short, but like I said, this arc isn't going to be terribly long, but it's necessary.
Please leave your thoughts in a review, I really enjoy reading them!