19

"Self-deception can be more comforting than self-knowledge.

We like to fool ourselves."

- Russ Roberts -

"Let me explain," Don held up his hands both for defense and attention. "You probably know about that horrible night, when the Shredder found our lair..."

"No, not really..." Leo rubbed his nape.

"Didn't Leo tell you about it?"

"No. I tried to make him talk, but he said that his past was none of my business."

"Hmm... so he doesn't know that you are him, correct?"

"Yeah..."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Well... I... I don't know," he lowered his gaze and started to draw circles on the floor with his toes. "I needed time to process things... and then, things happened and... and... I guess I was scared to say it out and face his reaction..."

"You hoped that if you don't talk about it, then it stops being a fact?"

Leo didn't bother to look up. He screwed up. He knew. He should have told his counterpart. He should have told everyone. Maybe then he wouldn't have been kidnapped.

Donatello sighed.

"Alright, I will tell you then."

30 years ago

Donatello growled as he looked at the smoky toaster.

"How many times do I have to fix you?" the young turtle rubbed his temples and thought about a certain brother who just couldn't get along with this machine. However, it amazed Don that this little thing was still working and could survive so many assassin attempts. "Don't worry, I will look for a new toaster, so you can retire."

But then, a screeching voice hit his ear.

He ran out of the kitchen, finding his brothers in the living room, all tense but ready to face whatever made the alarm go off. Leonardo stepped forward, clenching his fists on his katanas' hilts.

The alarm went silent, and the turtles listened.

Intermittent drips of water filled the room. At that moment, that punctured pipe was so loud and annoying like during the nights when he couldn't sleep.

Splinter slowly left the dojo to join his sons. He never took his narrowed eyes off the entrance. Leo looked just as determined as him. Donnie knew that they felt something that the rest of them couldn't. They knew what was about to happen.

"It's the Shredder," Splinter said.

"What? How did he find us?" Mikey exclaimed.

"He's not alone. He bought a whole army," Leo added, ignoring his brothers' confusion. He focused only on the enemy now.

"Time to kick some ass," Raph formed an x with his sais.

"I feel like it won't be as easy as on the rooftops, against a small team," Donnie said.

"Especially if the Elite ninjas are also here," Mikey swung his nunchuck and joined his brother in the front line.

"They are here," Leo breathed. "Just a few more steps."

The stench of the sewers was overwhelming. The dim, flickering light from the overhead bulbs cast long shadows across the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. Their home, once a safe home, was not a battlefield.

Leonardo stepped ahead, his katanas glinting in the sparse light. Beside him, Donatello twirled his bo staff, Mikey spun his nunchakus, and Raph clutched his sais with fierce determination. Splinter stood behind them, his walking stick in hand, ready to defend his family.

And they listened. Listened as their demise was approaching.

And they broke in! The Foot Clan descended upon them like a swarm. Shredder led the charge, his armor gleaming menacingly. Karai was at his side, her eyes cold and calculating. Donatello never liked her.

Elite ninjas flanked them, their weapons poised to strike.

"Stay together!" Leonardo commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos erupting around them.

However, Raph leaped forward and rushed to the enemy. His sais were deflecting a barrage of attacks. He moved with the ferocity of a cornered beast, each strike precise and deadly. But not against the relentless Elite ninjas.

Donatello joined his brother and watched his shell by knocking out several foot soldiers. At the corner of his eye, he saw as Mikey and Leo also teamed up to even out the match. They took down several foes, however, a sudden scream distracted them all.

Turning around they saw Raphael fell on the ground, pressing his right hand over his right eye. Blood was mercilessly flowing through his fingers to his whole body. Shredder towered upon him, his blood still on his gauntlet. He stood up trembling, he may have lost an eye but not his rage, he launched forwards just to see that Mikey and Leo were already spamming their enemy with restless attacks.

Splinter focused on distracting the other ninjas from his wounded son. Donatello quickly jumped next to his brother and tried to guide him to the lab, but his hotheaded brother just pushed him away.

"Don't," that's all he roared silently. Donatello frowned in concern as he looked at Raphael. He feared of the blood loss and even more about Raphael's chances in this fight this injured.

However, Raphael just grabbed his weapon and continued the fight, driven by pure adrenaline, fuming.

Michelangelo shrieked in pain and fell on his knees, clutching his bleeding arm... but taking a closer look, Donatello saw his arm was lying a few inches away, still strongly holding the nunchaku, but not attached to his brother's body anymore.

His eyes grew wild but he could only think of one thing: Mikey needed immediate medical attention! Donatello rushed to Mikey and scooped him up taking him away from the living room.

"You are going to pay for this!" he could hear their leader's cry and the blades collided.

In the lab, Donnie locked the door and quickly pressed a white cloth to Mikey's stump. He screamed in agony.

"It's okay, it's okay, you will be fine, Mikey, you will be fine. I'm going to make a new arm for you that will be so much better than the original!" Donnie rambled, hoping to keep the soul in his brother but mostly in himself. His fingers were shaking as he reached for other tools.

He quickly put a tourniquet above the stump and right after he started to clean out the wound as much as he could.

There was no time to properly treat this serious injury. He strongly wrapped it around with gauze. He looked at his brother who seemed to be in and out of consciousness.

"FATHER! NO!"

Donnie's heart stopped for a moment as he unlocked the doors and dashed out of the lab. In the middle of the room lay his father with an ugly wound on his chest, motionless. On top of him, Leonardo wept blood, clutching onto his father's robe, not caring about those deep slashes all over his body, one nasty one exactly across his eyes, tearing his mask off of his face.

Next to them stood Karai, blood dripping down from her katana. Her brows slightly knitted, her eyes teary as she watched her opponent laying in their own blood. She clenched the hilt of her sword as she spoke to her remaining soldiers.

"Catch Donatello. Kill the rest."

She raised her katana to finish Leonardo, but it was blocked by Raphael.

"Start with me," he growled. He stabbed her with his other sai. Karai gasped and stepped behind. She hissed as she pressed her hand on the wound. Raphael yelled towards Donatello.

"Take him out of here!"

Donatello nodded and quickly picked Leonardo up in his arms and ran, ran as fast as he could.

Some soldiers followed them, but Donatello had the advantage of knowing the sewers like the back of his hand. He knew about a secret tunnel, that was not even on the official blueprints and carried his bleeding brother there. He gently lowered him to the bottom and carefully touched his face. Leonardo winced at the contact but showed no resistance.

Donatello didn't need a second look to see; the slash was too deep, his brother was certainly blind. A tear rolled down his face, but now he had no time to cry over his brothers' losses. He had to return to help Raphael!

The water splashed until the ceiling as Donatello sprinted through the tunnels towards his home. His family.

Run straight, now left, and then right, straight again, next one right-

Four Elite ninjas stood in the way. He turned back but from the left tunnel another group of soldiers marched at him. He grabbed his bo staff and lunged at them, fought with every power that remained in his exhausted body. His mind could only focus on one thing: he had to protect his family! At any cost..

He couldn't let them get to Leo and he had to return to the lair.

Cutss and hits were not registered, only his growing worry.

Until a strong slash awakened him from his thoughts.

His staff broke apart on the sewer wall. His hand was still in the air, blood running down from his fingertips.

Cold steels were pressed against his neck.

"Do you wish to kill your brothers, turtle?" Shredder's deep voice was hurting his ears.

"...no" he whimpered.

"Then I advise you to follow me, then I spare the other three."

"How could I believe you?"

"I will get what I want either way. I gave you a choice, the rest depends on you."

"Why would you spare my brothers if you can get me either way?"

"Let's say... for motivation. If I kill them you'd be harder to handle. You have to know what depends on your work."

Two strong soldiers gripped Donatello as the Shredder turned around.

"Do you wish to protect your brothers? You can do that by working for me."

Donatello lost his strength and would have fallen to the ground if the soldiers hadn't kept him up. He didn't know anything. Were Mikey and Raph safe? Did the Shredder really spare them? He will have to find out. But until then he had to focus on one certain fact; Leonardo was still alive. He had to protect him! And he could only hope that April and Casey find him in time.

A/N: Hellobello, I'm back again...
This fanfiction greatly represents my depressed phases haha.. I started this chappie back in November and then fu man, a lot of stuff happened, not so good stuff.
BUT the story continues!:)
Guest: Thank you for the comment, I like to read your reviews! I hope you are still around here!:)