Chapter 20: Follow my Lead.
Here's Chapter 20!
NOTE - I think I fixed the chapter update issue? please let me know if you guys get this? lmao xD
Calmoose415: Maybe...Maybe not? I can't say, it could be a spoiler! :3
ProfessorYeti: Hello again! XD thank you for another review!
I'm glad that the world building is working well! (I've been kinda worried that I'm not describing things that well? So I've tried in this chapter to add more? Haha) And yes you've got the heights right haha x3
And thank you about appreciating the little things in this fic, it means a lot! 3
And yea, while 5 is when children truly start to comprehend the world around them, I feel like Donnie would be already quite understanding of how the world is, considering he's grandfathers passing, and the fact that child is literally a mini einstein XD But yeahhhh it is quite weird how these flashbacks are playing out, huh? :)
And I can't wait to show everyone the fungus episode! It's one of the more fleshed out ones I've written!
And yeah! Donnie and Miwa are human, they don't have the super endurance, speed, healing, or any 'animal-like' advantages! And I wanted to really show that. And while they aren't defenseless, far from it actually haha, they are in theroy 'weaker' then the turtles?
And yeahhhh, our boy just can NOT! Catch a break... :'c Poor baby boi. And Donnie is definitely more visible attached to Metalhead in this fic. :3
And Donnie and Raph bonding is always a win :'3 (Slash and Destroy is going to hurt...:'c)
Also! That headcannon you had has actually helped me quite a bit! I didn't know that there was a entirely different dialect in Osaka! So I actually edited the first part to be more accurate! (It was super interesting to read about some of the phrases and words! So thank you for that!) And I think Donnie would definitely write and speak alone in Kansai-ben, but our boy is a BIG nerd, so I think he would of definitely learned standard Japanese aswell, and uses that for the others.
And once again, thank you for another great review! I'll see you again in the next chapter! 3
This is based on the 2k12 series.
WARNING: 'Dyslexic Writer lol'.
Chapter 20
As the sun sat comfortably atop the mountain peaks, turning the valley darker with it's orange and purple hued sky, the small village began to buzz with life.
The scenic forest path ended up leading the mother and child to a larger path that ran throughout the village. A pebbled road of sorts that weary fishermen used to drag their carts of fish back home, or farmers their produce. But it was also the road that all the townsfolk used to get around.
As the woman and her son joined the road, they passed by the backs of houses that faced outwards to the docks surrounding the lake. The back of these houses were converted into shops, with signs of their goods and short, rectangular lanterns lighting the home.
These wooden framed lanterns with coloured rice paper windows, were scattered across the entrances of the homes around, producing a soft ambient light, and subtle glow that lit up the twilight village.
Shop clerks at the produce shops and fishmongers would shout out an energetic "Maido! Good afternoon!'" As people passed by, hoping to get in one last sale before closing shop for the night.
The laughter and casual chitter-chatter of fishermen and farmers alike grew louder as they made their way home along the path, carrying with them baskets, nets and carts filled to the brim with hard earnt goods.
Even a few school children walked passed with their own parents, calling, "Maido, Morikawa-Sensei! 'Good afternoon, Mrs Morikawa!'" As they hopped and skipped along with cheerful squeals.
Two men happened to walk alongside the mother and child, carrying between themselves multiple nets, aswell as a cart with live fish still gaping for air.
She recognised these two men as friends of her husband, as well as her late father-in-law, and bowed in greeting as the two man approached them with their cart. She let out a chuckle and an affectionate smile as her son ran around the back of them to look at the fisherman's prizes for the day, watching with pure concentration and curiosity.
"Mokarimakka? 'Are you making good money?'" The lady asked the two men.
To which the older, and more greyed man replied "Bochi bochi denna." With a shared chuckle to his younger friend. This was a very casual reply, meaning things weren't especially good or terribly bad. In fact, this cheerful, carefree nonchalance was normal for residents of Osaka, and surrounding areas.
Where they strongly believe that getting eagerly fired up about something isn't always a good thing. And that just, "taking it easy" should always be a number one priority in life.
The younger of the two men saw the five year old watching the fish in the chart, as they lay flapping and gulping for air. And with a cunning grin on his face, he reached into the cart and under the many rows of Aji. "Daiki-chan, kore mite! 'Daiki, Look at this!'" He laughed, grabbing a fish by its tail and hoisting it in the air.
The child gasped as a Japanese seabass, reaching up to 60cm was held in front of him, it was larger then the small child's entire torso. "Meccha ookii! 'That's so big!'" He cheered, and the fishermen glowed with pride.
The adults laughed and chatted about their day whilst the little boy went back to looking at the fish once more. And after a few minutes, his Mother began to usher him onward.
"Hona, 'See you', Yamada-Sama!"
"Jurou-Sama!" The young boy waved as he and his mother left the two men to continue up the path. Aiming to arrive home before nightfall.
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The steady but gradual increase of bleeps coming from Donnie's mutagen tracker echoed throughout the enclosed space, as the Hamatos searched every inch of the alleyway.
Their search had now stretched to just over four days, and tensions were running high between the exhausted teens.
The hotheaded turtle gave an irritated sigh as he threw yet another trash bag out of his way, turning to face the genius of the team. "Come on, Donnie. Don't get so bent out of shape about April. She'll come around." He says in a surprisingly thoughtful way.
"Yeah, I guess your right..." The brunet exhaled wearily, holding his tracker out towards a dumpster. "I just- I feel like maybe if we apologized to her-"
"Apologized? She's the one who needs to apologise. Not us!" Miwa scoffed aloud, her back turned to her brothers as she searched through the trash cans.
Everyone in the family knew that Miwa and April weren't ever exactly 'Best Friends', but the times the two girls did spend together, were always on good terms. But ever since the mutagen spill, Miwa held her own grudge against the red haired girl.
The older girl was in complete understanding that April's father was mutated, and how hard that sudden and unexpected change can be on her life. Mainly because she had gone through the same thing herself.
It was the fact that April was so quick to accuse them, to be angry at them without even a moment's hesitation so that they could properly explain themselves or the situation, that irritated the raven haired girl.
But what annoyed her even further, was that April had purposefully aimed all of her aggression toward her genius and most sensitive brother. Who she could see was taking their falling out badly, both physically, and mentally...
Miwa frowned to herself as she proceeded to search for mutagen, while keeping her true thoughts to herself.
Leonardo was close by, scavenging around in some opened trash bags, when the dumpster behind him began to shake violently. He moved closer to inspect it, just as Mikey sprung out of it like a Jack-in-the-box with a huge grin plastered on his face. Making Leo flinch away at his sudden appearance.
"No sign of any mutagen," Mikey confirmed before leaning over the edge of the dumpster towards Leo. "But you're not gonna believe what I found!"
The oldest turtle's interest was peaked, and he moved towards Mikey with a curious glance. But his eyesight was soon filled by a darker shade of green as a dead reptile was all but shoved in his face. "Ugh!" Leo cringed and backed away quickly.
"An iguana wearing a top hat! Isn't that cool?" The youngest turtle beamed as he held the lizards hand and made it wave to his disgusted older brother. "I mean, why would you throw this out?"
Mikey then held the iguana in front of his face and put on a cheesy impression of a fancy English gentleman. "'Ello, Gov'nor. How do you like my mon-acle?"
"Monocle." Donnie correct from beside him with a amused smirk.
"Whatever." Mikey said, sticking his tongue out.
Raph on the other hand, came over with rising disgust on his face. "You realize that could be a distant cousin? And he's stuffed with sawdust!" He snapped, not noticing the way Donnie was quick to walk down the other end of the alleyway.
Though Miwa watched the younger human retreat with a suspicious look.
"Eww, sick!" Mikey yelled, and he flung the stuffed iguana away, and into another trash can further down the alley. Wiping his hands on the back of his shell with a fearful pout.
"Quiet, guys." Donnie hushed as the device in his hands began to grow in volume. "My ooze scanner is going crazy again. I told you a mutagen was close-by."
Raph leant against a dumpster nearby with a smug air to him and a sceptical glance Donnie's way. "Ah, You're scanner's about as useless as a trench coat on a turtle."
"Not very effective then." Miwa stated with a joking chuckle. The idea of her three mutant brothers dressed in trench coats and hats played hilariously in her mind.
"Hey, just give him a chance, Raph." Leo interpreted, "It's our fault those containers went missing. We got to find 'em before some random Joe ends up mutated."
Donnie stepped towards a trash can, which he quickly climbed on top of, pointing his tracker to the rooftop above. The tracker increased it's beeping once again and the genius of the group grinned. "This way!"
The five teens scale the fire escape of the building, and follow after Donnie as he runs ahead, afraid of losing the signal after so many dead leads. But low and behold, stored beside an air conduct on the roof, was the familiar green glow that they had all been searching for.
Mikey ran up to the canister with newfound excitement, and held it proudly in the air. "Found it!" He exclaims and leans against the air conduct. "How many does that bring us up to?"
"One. And a half!" Donnie announces. And the other four teens groan in exasperation. "But look at the bright side? Only sixty-three more to go!" Donnie defended with a cheerful demeanour.
As the teens conversed between themselves about the mutagen, they were completely unaware of the two pairs of watchful mutant eyes, stalking them for a few rooftops over.
"So, the turtles are searching for the missing mutagen aswell." Bradford stats in a smug manner. "That makes our job easier."
"Ugh. Master Shredder is not going to be pleased when he hears this." Xever remarked bitterly, crossing his arms in irritation at the thought.
The larger mutant growled at his whining partner, "Come on." He barked and the two mutants disappeared into the night.
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As the night continued to drag on, the teens soon discovered that they had little success in the way of mutagen hunting. Their one find earlier in the night, being their only victory so far.
And so, the Hamatos found themselves searching on the rooftops, near one of the large 'Boboco Cola' billboards scattered across the city. They made sure to check between the small enclosed spaces of any air ducts and ventilation systems, but still, it seemed as though their luck had ran out.
Michelangelo was atop the billboard, scanning from up high. But his short attention span soon turned against him as he began to lose interest in his task. The turtle teenager yawned and stuck his foot into one of the grids at the side of the billboard, so he could hang freely upside down with his hands crossed behind his head.
"We've been looking for mutagen for days now, dudes." The orange-clad turtle began to moan. "This is so boring! I'm gonna scream!" And holding true on his word, the following seconds were silent, until Mikey dropped his hands down and screamed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"MIKEY!" The other four yelled in unison.
"Okay, okay, we get it!" Leo shouted at his brother. "We'll take a little break and do something fun. Cool?"
Miwa, Raph, Donnie and Mikey all grinned excitedly and called out, "Nice! Awesome! Sweet! Whoo-hoo-hoo!"
"Training session!" Leo cheered with his hands up. "Yes!"
"Aww!!" The others groaned as their happy mood disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Guys, Sensei wants me to train you, and that's what I'm gonna do." Leo defended with a serious voice. He stood with his hands on his hips and surveyed the area for a training exercise. And with one glance over to China town, Leonardo had an idea. "You see Dragon gate over there?"
A chorus of 'Uh-huh's', and 'Yeah's' rang from the others.
"I'm gonna defend it, like king of the mountain, okay?" Leo instructed and the others nodded. "Now, the only way you can get past me is to use traditional close-quarters fighting. Got it?"
Raph sighs and slams his fist into his open palm with a scowl on his face. "Whatever you say, fearless leader. Let's just get it over with."
At that, Leo smirked and made his way toward the dragon gate with the others close behind him. He jumped down onto a water tower and checked his team once more, before continuing onward by himself.
Miwa followed on, until a large green arm suddenly crossed in front of her. She looked up to see Raph had stopped her, and was now waiting for Donnie and Mikey as the two were just making their own way down the rooftop. Before halting them also.
"Guys, I've got an idea." Raph smirks deviously, and uses his arms to huddle the others around him where he begins to whisper his plan. Mikey and Donnie grin toward each other and even do a fist bump once the older turtle is finished.
It was only Miwa, that didn't seem to have the same keen interest in this plan that the other's had.
"Raph, you know that'll only tick 'Splinter Jr' off." She explained him with crossed arms.
"That's the point." Raph snapped back with a grin.
"Look, I know he can be a bit of a 'stickler for the rules' or whatever-" she began to defend her brother, only Raphael was quicker to put in his piece.
"Please, You know just as well as I do, that Leo's only task in life, is to make an entire Clan of himself!" He snarled back, and without any further words, he took off. With Mikey and Donnie soon on his tail, after the two shrugged in agreement and followed the temperamental turtle.
Miwa shook her head hopelessly, "Baka..." and made her way down aswell.
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Leonardo stood overlooking the entrance of China town with one of his katana blades resting on the green brick arch. He circled round in one fluid motion to face his four opponents, all who stood squaring him off on the opposite side of the gates.
Leo took a step forward onto the lantern strung wires hanging between the gate and the rooftops, baring his katana blade with a smug look. Michelangelo decided to go first, jumping up from his perched position on a air conduct and onto the edge of the rooftop.
He glances back to see Raph giving him a knowing wink, as Donnie gives him a thumbs up. All while Miwa crosses her arms and shakes her head, in a final fruitless attempt to convince her brothers.
But Mikey's mind was made up. He didn't want to play by Leo's rules, he wanted to play by his rules, and have fun. So as he stepped up onto the wires across from his blue-clad brother, he got out his headphones and played his music so loudly, that the others could make out every word the singer said.
"What's up ninja? Ha! Ha! Ho!" The youngest yelled over the top of his music, while scooting closer to Leo with a few dance moves.
Leo held his katana braced, but as soon his brother joined him on the wire, he dropped his guard just a little in confusion. "What are you doing, Mikey?"
The orange-clad turtle didn't reply, mainly because he couldn't actually hear him, and dropped onto his shell and spun around like a spinning top.
Leo growled at his little brother and charged, slashing his blade downward where Mikey was spinning. Only as Leo got to the part of the wire were his brother had been, and bent down with the flow of his weapon, Mikey took a sudden jump upwards and smacked his fist into the back of Leo's shell.
Leonardo got back up, and slashed at him again, but Mikey bent over backwards to avoid the blade. Before coming back at Leo with a closed fist. The older turtle sidestepped his brother's punch, and watched on with irritation as Mikey wiggled his arms around like a worm, all while still yelling and shouting random words.
"Real funny." Leo spat sarcastically, "Come on!" He called, and charged his brother once more.
Mikey grinned as Leo swerved his blade to the side, and swung it towards him. At the same time, he jumped before a hit could be made, landing backwards on the wire with enough force, that the sturdy metal cord ricocheted him straight into the air. Where he landed back down safely on top of the dragon's gate.
"Made it! Ha! Whoo!" Mikey cheered to himself, doing a victorious moon walk across the green roof of the gate.
Leo stomped his foot down like an upset toddler not getting their way. "Oh, that's not fair! That was not a real fight-" the shifting weight on the wire told Leo his next opponent had joined him. And he swirled round to see Donnie on the other end.
Leo sighed in content. "Okay." He brought his blade up once more and prepared for an actual fight. He knew that Donnie wouldn't mess around with training, as he still had a bit of that fight-ready, obedient Foot soldier still in him.
Donnie put both hands into his leg pockets and strolled further on the wire, flashing Leo a smug grin, which the leader was quick to caught on too.
In one swift move, Donnie's mahogany eyes had calculated the area around them, and all the possibilities for a direct hit on the blue wearing turtle, as well as pulled his hands free from his pockets holding multiple shurikens.
With a shout, he threw the shurikens in every direction possible, some hitting the wire, some hitting rooftops and statues nearby, as others just randomly shot back and forth from around them.
But the shurikens movement was anything but random. Donnie had strategically planned the path each throwing star would take, as well as their final destination.
"Ow!" Leo cried as one of the stars rebounded straight into his shell, "Are you kidding me, Donnie?" He questioned as he pulled his blade to his side, knocking a shuriken away, only to pull his katana to the other side to block off another one. He kept swinging his blade around in a frantic fashion, as the throwing stars seemingly came from thin air, until he was left panting crazily.
"Ow! King of the mountain, baby!" The victory cry from behind the leader had him turning with a surprised look drawn on his face. As Donnie and Mikey stood proudly with satisfied smirks on their faces atop the dragon's gate.
"Ha!" The two laughed, with Mikey calling, "That's my ninja." Afterwards, fist-bumping Donnie, as the human rested his arm across the mutants shoulder.
Leo held his mouth ajar in shock as the two youngest grinned, unaware of Miwa approaching the wire to have her turn. Only, Raph was quick to force her out the way, so he could have his share of the fun.
"Don't do this, Meathead." Miwa tried once more with a scowl. However, Raphael's simple reply back, was a mocking shove to her shoulder as he made his way past her to the edge of the building.
"So what's your trick gonna be?" Leo asked his immediate younger brother with focused, narrowed eyes.
"Tricks? What are you talking about?" Raph asked aloud, the fakeness of his confusion was plain for Leo to see.
And for just a split second, it seemed as though Raphael was actually going to compile with Leo's request for a traditionally done fight. Yet as soon as the red-clad turtle had stepped onto the wire, he grabbed hold of his sai, and launched it at his older brother without any warning.
Leo was quick to send the sai flying in the opposite direction with a displeased glare his brothers way. "Hey! Ninjas never throw their weapons."
That was the final straw for the emerald eyed turtle, and with a growl, he charged at Leo almost like a quarter backer, slamming shoulder first into his brother, and sending him free falling to the ground below.
"Raph!" Miwa shouted, shooting a hard glare at her hotheaded brother as she jumped down to help.
But Raphael could care less of what his sister thought, and went to the youngest two celebrating. "All right! Whoo-hoo!" The three cheered, high-threeing.
As Leonardo looked up from the concrete he had just collided onto, he saw his other katana blade fall to the floor in front of him. With the words, 'Lame-O-Nardo' written in black marker on the polished metal.
Due to the hand writing, Leo knew straight away that it was too neat to be Mikey's, and it wasn't in Japanese, which was the main language Donnie always wrote in. Meaning the hurtful words had been scribbled down by Raphael.
Leo scrunched up his fists and shot up off of the ground, at the same time his older sister had arrived at his side. "Why do you always undermine my training?" He yelled furiously at the other three, but everyone there knew that the question was pointed towards one main individual.
The red-clad turtle balled up his own fists as he and the other two jumped to the floor just below the gate. "You just want us to fight exactly like you fight!" Raph barked back, pointing accusingly at his older brother. "But the whole point is to make it to the Dragon gate any way we can, right?" With his piece said, Raph looked over to the others and motioned for them to follow after him as he lead the younger teens through the gates and back home.
Leo sighed, and slumped back down to the floor next to his beloved katana blade, rereading the horrible name over and over again in his head.
"Leo," Miwa sighed, coming beside him and placing a hand on his shoulders. "Are you ok?"
"Am I really that bad of a leader?" He asked to no one in general, the words were more of a thought spoken aloud.
"Your not a bad leader." She informed him, "Your still learning, and making mistakes is part of that-"
"Mistakes? What mistakes? I don't see how what I'm doing is such a 'mistake'?" Leo replied in an offended tone. "I'm trying to lead this team to greatness!"
"No, your not!" Miwa shot back with more volume then she intended, "Your trying to shape this team into you!" She put her hands to her hips, and blew out a breath to calm herself. "Look. Raph didn't say it in the best way, but that's the point they were trying to make. You can't turn them into you, you have to help them, be the best 'them' they can be."
Leonardo watched her for a moment, before his head sunk back down to his katana. His sister shook her head at her brothers inability to learn from his mistakes, and made her way through the dragon gates.
"This is why I should of been leader..." the Kunoichi muttered to herself, thankfully out of earshot from Leo, who was now picking himself up, and making his way after her.
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Back in the lair, the two younger turtle brothers were duking it out on a video game, Miwa was spending her time reading in her room, as Donnie busied himself in his lab. Trying to make good use out of the canister they found yesterday to help in making the retro-mutagen.
Master Splinter was currently in a lotus position, trying to mediate quietly to himself in the dojo, as his oldest son continued to firmly scrub at the marker on his blade on the tatami mats in front of him with growing concern.
"I don't know, Sensei. Maybe I'm not cut out for all this." Leo pondered to himself sadly, as he slowed his scrubbing down. "I don't really think the guys respect me. I just...I just want to be a good leader, you know?"
Splinter opened his amber eyes, and glance upwards to his upset son. "Leonardo, a true leader doesn't always impose his will, but helps his followers flourish, grow."
Leo looked down with a dejected look, one that was enough to make his father feel his pain. "Maybe I shouldn't be leading the team."
The old rats glance softened, "My son, how can your brothers believe in you as leader, if you do not believe in yourself?" He questioned, causing his son to sigh, and sit on the floor across from him in thought.
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The doors to the Foot throne room flew open with a mighty swing, as the two called upon henchman entered.
Bradford and Xever came into said room and bowed. Preparing themselves to face their Master, sitting on his throne with a look of utmost importance in his damaged eyes.
Yet the two mutated men came to a halt, as stood beside the empty throne was Tigerclaw, with a scheming look passing by his one eye. The feline placed his oversized paw upon the headrest of the throne, tapping his claws in a rhythmic manner. "Bradford, Xever." He addressed them confidently.
The dog growled lowly, and stood from his bowed position. "Where's Master Shredder?"
"He has left for Japan, leaving me in charge." Tigerclaw gloated, "Tatsu warned him of a suspected uprising in the Foot ranks overseas. And he has gone to see to the matter, personally."
Xever groaned at the new management he now found himself under, as Bradford remained silent in thought.
The mutant dog knew that if Hattori Tatsu, the Shredder's right hand man in Japan, was having problems dealing with this 'rebellion', that it was a serious matter. It was only the one time that someone would underestimate the blind swordsman, and it was that one time, that would lead you to a trip to the medical ward, courtesy of his astounding swordskills.
Even Daiki had obtained a nasty scar across his shoulder from his first training session with the man. It only took the thirteen year old a second to question the ethics of having a blind swordsman teach him, before he was on the floor, with blood streaming from his wound.
"He has also entrusted me with training the newest Foot soldiers." The tiger's voice rung out, causing Bradford to lose his train of thought.
His ears went back as he slammed his fist against the walkway. "Training the rookie's is my job!" Bradford growled spitefully.
"Not the rookie's." Tigerclaw stated with an arrogant air about him, and at the snap of his fingers, the doorway behind the two henchman opened up once more.
Walking perfectly in sync with one another, ten Foot soldiers came through the door. Before stopping, bowing, and seating themselves next to the shocked henchman beside them. The Foot soldiers remained still and impassive as they shared a lifeless look in their glowing red eyes.
"These are not men!" Xever yells, standing up in shock and placing himself behind the larger mutant, almost cowering beside him. "These are-!"
"Robots." Tigerclaw stared ahead at his 'men' with a dark smile. "Bradford, I require your dojo for a little...experiment."
Glaring at the unmoving Foot bots beside him, Bradford turned with a thoughtful scowl to the mutant in charge. "What do you have in mind?" He questioned curiously.
The tiger's eye focused on the two henchman in front of him, as he clenched his paw to form a fist. "To truly defeat a clan such as the Hamatos, you must break them, and their trust in one another." He stated fiercely. "When they start to turn on each other, that is when they will be weakest against any attack."
"And I have just the plan to turn them." His pearly white fangs glowed as he smiled a wicked smile. Causing Bradford and Xever to ponder the motives of the assassin cat.
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The Shellraiser was filled was an uneasy air, as the five teens sat in pure, uncomfortable silence. Raphael drove the Shellraiser, while Leo sat in his seat, with what could only be described as a moody sulk pulling at his normally mature features. With his arms crossed over his plastron, he kept his sapphire eyes glaring towards his immediate younger brother, letting out an occasional huff.
Mikey was stationed in his usual spot, which gave him a clear shot of Leo's murderous stare. With his comic book in hand, Mikey swiveled his chair so he was draping one arm around Leo's shoulder.
"You're not mad at us, are you, Leo?" Mikey questioned with all the innocences of a puppy, before showing his prized comic book off in his brothers face. "I'll give you Mutant Pus Monsters twenty-three if you're not mad."
Leo exhaled an audible breath, and hit the book out of his face. "I'm not mad. I just think you guys need to be a little better at following my orders."
The other four Hamatos stopped what they were doing to share the same look of irritation. But it was Miwa, who was sitting beside him, that spoke first. "You know, I read somewhere that, 'A good leader doesn't reform ones thinking to their own'." She spoke wisely.
Leaving Michelangelo with his mouth open in awe. "Whoa! That was like, Sensei level deep, Sis!"
"Yeah...no offence, but your idea of 'training', is giving me major deja vu from the Foot's training." Donnie added with a shiver. Leo gasped at the insult his brother just threw at him with a look of betrayal. "Well, It's true." The brunet continued. "Saki was all about everyone doing things his way too, so maybe you should-"
"I am nothing like the Shredder, Donnie." Leo interpreted with a hurt tone. "I just want you guys to respect me more as your leader. Is that too much to ask?"
Raph scoffed, and turned back around to face the road, waving a nonchalant hand behind him. "Yeah, It's too bad I can't play my violin for you while I drive."
Leo scowled at his brother, and fought to keep a level-head while answering back. "What's your problem lately, Raph? You still jealous you're not leading the team?"
Miwa sighed at her idiot brothers and turned her head away. Silently holding down the feeling of jealousy herself. Raphael on the other hand, growled under his breath at the remark, and was about to shoot back with his own comment, when Donnie's tracker began to beep.
"Stop the shellraiser!" Donatello called as he grabbed his device from beside him. "Scanner's picked up another mutagen canister-" The Shellraiser had it's brakes abruptly slammed into a stop, sending Mikey flying off his chair, Donnie's face straight into the computer system in front of him, and Miwa and Leo lurching forwards in a painful arch.
"Seriously! Who let him drive!" Miwa shouted as she picked herself back up, throwing a glare Raph's way as said turtle got out of the car smugly.
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The Shellraiser stopped just outside of an abandoned factory, with a large grate out the front. Donnie stood over it, and hovered his tracker above the grate. "We're close, guys. Signal's coming from the basement."
Leo nodded, "Okay, let's not make any sudden moves before I give the-" the sound of metal scrapping and slamming down on top of itself caught Leo's attention, he looked to see that the four others had already long left him standing there. "Orders." He moaned, and jumped down the grate.
Donatello adjusted his tracker and followed it through the backrooms of the factory, leading the five teens past a few opened up rooms with crates inside.
"Oh, yeah! Found it!" Mikey cheered, and ran ahead, passed a few crates into one of the rooms. And there it was, a full mutagen canister sat perfectly in the middle of the empty room.
"Go, ninja. Go, ninja, go!" Mikey chirped happily and reached down for the mutagen as his siblings joined him in the room.
Leo's senses were screaming at him that something was not right. A feeling of someone watching them? Or maybe it was the feeling of this being all too good to be true... a trap.
The leader's eyes widened in fear as his little brother grabbed the discarded canister. "Don't!-" but it was too late. The canister came up when Mikey lifted it, but as did a string.
The doorways to the room began to seal off their escape to the outside world with garage type doors, locking in place once sealed.
"See?" Leo yelled, throwing his arms out at the closed doors. "If you guys would have listened to me-"
"Easier than I thought." A wicked cackle came from behind, and the teens whipped round to face a stack of crates beside them. Tigerclaw stood atop the boxes with his swords pointing towards his prey.
"Tigerclaw!" Leo snapped, and the others all followed his example and pulled out their weapons.
A condescending smile passed the tiger's lips. "It has been a while, Hamato cubs," He addressed, eyeing them all separately. But his glare stayed longer on the brunet of the group. "Uragirimono."
Donnie gripped his bō staff a bit tighter, to keep his frustration, and fear in check.
Tigerclaw smirked cruelly, snapping his fingers to call upon his army. The gathering Foot soldiers moved forwards in a synchronised stride, surrounding the Hamato's in a tightly made circle.
Raphael felt a full out laugh get caught in his throat as he raised his sais higher. "Ha! They're just Foot soldiers. Won't even break a sweat." He joked, and launched himself towards the closest soldier. He struck the Foot rookie clean in the face, knocking him down, before jumping up to send his foot into another unluckily soldier.
But the soldier landed back down in a safe skid, where it stood back up, glowing it's eyes at him while others came to back it up.
And Raphael's cocky smirk soon turned sour as the soldier charged him with a mace, followed by another Foot with a katana. The two soldiers caught Raph's sai in their own weapons, and pulled his arms away from his chest and to his side, so a third soldier could pound his fist straight into his plastron. Sending the turtle flying backwards and into Donnie who was taking on his own Foot soldiers.
One of the Foot Donnie had previously been fighting made a move for the two downed teens, until a yell sounded from behind, and the end of a knunchuck whacked into the side of his head. But the Foot remained impassive. Only his eyes glowed a dark red, tinged with annoyance.
Mikey's baby blue eyes widen in pure shock as the Foot soldier remained still. The young knunchuck master knew well enough from experience that a solid hit to the head like that would of knocked the man unconscious, or at the very least, left him in a great deal of pain. "They armored up or something?" Mikey asked with deep concern as the Foot soldier closed up his fist and punched him round the jaw.
Miwa charged at one of the Foot with a shout, and slashed at his shoulders, but the soldier dodged her blows seamlessly. He grabbed hold of her elbow as she jumped forward with her tantō, and dove her hands and blade straight through one of the crates beside them. "What the...?!" She started with surprise, only to scrambled out the way as the soldier sent his leg into the box in a spinning kick.
Leo grunted out a breath as he pushed away two soldiers, turning with a jump, to slash at the one silently approaching him from behind. Though the soldier caught the blade in his hand easily, and used his other fist to hit the katana, breaking the blade in two. Before kicking Leo away in the gut.
The leader was quick to get back up, surrounded by his siblings coming to his aid as he clenched his aching gut. Leo's mind yelled at him, telling him to find an escape route.
Sapphire eyes scanned the blocked off room in a matter of seconds for any sort of weak link in the trap. And there, in the back of the room, was a shut down elevator shaft.
With his target in sight, Leo shot a look to the others. "Everybody, fall back!" He ordered in a no nonsense kind of tone. But of course, someone had to argue with him...
"What? We're running away!" Raphael spat as if the entire concept of running away was laughable.
"It's not running, It's a tactical retreat. Move!" Leo yelled back, not even waiting for an answer, before turning and running to the broken down shaft. Miwa sighed and sheathed her tantō, taking off after her immediate younger brother.
Donnie and Mikey stood confused as the eldest two left, and the red-clad turtle stayed put. Raph gripped his sai harder. "I don't care what Leo says. I don't run from the Foot!" He yelled and with a growl, he rushed the soldiers in front of him.
The next few seconds were painful for the siblings nearest to him to see, as Donnie and Mikey watched Raphael get clocked around the head not once, not twice, but three times, before falling practically unconscious to the floor.
The two younger teens cringed at the sound of Raph's heavy form hitting the concrete below. Before Donnie took the initiative and dove forwards to grab one of Raph's arms, as Mikey followed suit, hooking the other over his shoulders as they slowly dragged him towards the elevator where Leo was waiting, holding off several Foot soldiers that tried to stop him from leaving.
However, with the leader distracted, and the three other teens occupied, there was a gap left for a lone soldier to strike at the three youngest teens.
"Get away from them!" Miwa snarled, running around the side of her brothers and leaping up a few crates.
With a yell, she slashed her tantō downwards towards the outstretched arm of the Foot soldiers, and landed with a roll next to the three younger teens who were looking at her in disbelief.
The sound of a metallic object clattering to the floor sounded around the room as all five teens watched as the Foot soldier's arm dropped to the floor.
"Dude! You just chopped off his arm!" Mikey shrieked in fear, pointing at the detached appendage.
The now one armed soldier pulled his stubbed arm upwards, watching as sparks flew from it's damaged circuitry. It's eyes gave a piercing glow as they focused back on the Hamatos, almost in a angry sort of way.
"U-um, Donnie...were these guys always robots?" Miwa stuttered out, backing quickly away from the furious looking robot.
All around them, the downed soldiers they had previously fought, started to wire back to life. The cracking and clinking of metal rang out as their exoskeletons corrected themselves, and the soldiers seemed to surround the teens once more.
"Nope! They were definitely human last time I saw them!" Donnie shot back fearfully.
The leader in blue jumped in front of his younger siblings and sliced the closest bots in half. "Move it Donnie! Go!" He ordered and Donnie and Mikey ran for the elevator shaft with a mostly recovered Raph following behind.
"Miwa! Go!" Leo called once again, as he skewered a Foot bot in the stomach. Only Leo's command was not met with agreement, but rather a hard foot to the shell, courtesy of his sister, sending him towards the lift.
She grabbed Leo up by him bandana tails and ran with him to the doorway of the elevator. "Your not doing the 'Solo Leo act' on my watch! Now move your shell!" She demanded and throw him into the empty shaft and on top of the broken down elevator.
The wire cables of the lift whined and shook with the added weight of the two teens, until all five ninjas jumped up, and began scaling the empty shaft.
Donnie and Raph were taking the lead, both trying to pry open the doorways to the floors above, but when one wouldn't budge, they'd quickly move upwards to the next, and hope for the best.
Miwa and Leo were close behind them, with Mikey taking up the back as the Foot bots came after them. The robots moved in a fast and fluid way, like they were spiders simply running across a web.
Raphael got up to the next level and pulled at a gate that blocked off the broken lift from civilians, and with a mighty tug, the gate slide open. He climbed up and into the room, before peering back into the shaft to help bring Donnie in. "Move it guys!" Raph called down and held his hand out ready to pull his siblings to safety.
One of the closer bots reached out it's hand and grabbed the ankle of the nearest teenager, causing Mikey to scream and try to kick the metallic hand off of him.
"Get off me you bug-eyed creep!" Mikey shrieked and continued to kick at the arm pulling him back down the shaft.
"Mikey!" Leo snapped, and in a split second, he leapt backwards off the walls of the shaft and entered a free dive downwards.
Unfortunately, he wasn't aware of the fact that Miwa had also decided to jump backwards, intent on knocking the bot off of Mikey once she heard his crys. And the two painfully met each other halfway down the shaft.
"Agh!?" The two collided head first, as their feet got caught in the spaces between the walls. With their backs slamming into each other, the two were stuck for a moment, blocking the way for anyone else as they fought to untangle themselves.
But by now, their struggles to reach their little brother were pointless, as several more Foot bots grabbed hold of Mikey's other ankle, his shoulders, his waist and the top of shell, until they weighed him down enough that his three fingered grip could no longer hold all of them up.
"Michelangelo!" Donnie exclaimed.
"Mikey!" Raph yelled.
But all four Hamatos could do nothing but watch as Mikey fell to the broken elevator below screaming with the Foot bots still clinging to him. The thud of Mikey's shell mixed with the metallic clank of the robots echoed eerily in the shaft and the ears of his siblings. Until the snapping of the wire cables pierced the silence. And the lift, the several bots, and Mikey's unconscious form, all fell down into the darkness below.
Where only Tigerclaw's demented laughter could be heard from beneath the shadows...
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Fury boiled inside of Raphael's veins, heating up his mind in a thick cloud of pure unbridled rage that he had to release. He turned sharply from the elevator shaft, leaving Donnie alone beside it, holding the snapped wire in his hands.
The hothead was on a collision course, and it was aimed directly at his older siblings. "What were you two idiots thinking!?" Raphael bellowed at the two with such volume, they swore they had gone deaf for a second.
Miwa was quick to get up from her seated position on the floor and point an accusingly finger to her other brother. "Hey don't blame me!" She snapped, "If Leo hadn't of jumped down trying yet again to sacrifice himself!-"
"Hey! I was the closest to him!" Leo defended himself with narrowing eyes.
Anger pricked under Raph's skin, and he forcefully shoved both of the eldest teens backwards. "Because of you two idiots! Mikey is gone, and in the hands of Tigerclaw!"
This time the leader shot back up first, and clenched his fists whilst getting in his immediate younger brothers face. "If you had just left when I told you too, Raph, none of this would of happened!"
The arguing amongst the teenagers pursued as Miwa joined back in, each sibling having a jab at the other for who's fault Mikey's capture was. But the almost deafening volume of the argument behind, was little more then soft, blurry background noise to another.
The thumping of Donnie's heartbeat continued to grow from a few bumps to a roar, until it was all the human boy could hear. Even his own breathing was practically drowned out by his heart.
He dropped the broken cable and used an uncoordinated hand to feel behind him for the wall, where he sunk down to the floor, using the solid surface behind him as a lifeline.
The beats of his heart grew harsher to his ears, as his over panicked brain created disturbing thoughts in his head. Ones of Mikey being tortured, beaten and cut. Or just literally de-shelled by the deranged cat.
A shaky hand reached up slowly to his pounding heart and tried to clutch at the organ, fearing it was moments away from ripping out of his chest with how hard the beats were growing, but his white knuckled grip only held onto his maroon shozoku instead.
The youngest teen closed his mahogany eyes, and leant heavily against the cemented wall. Begging that this onslaught of panic would wash over him.
"Oh please, Raph!" Miwa shot back, her calm exterior didn't do much to contain her seething feelings. "Need I remind you of 'King of the mountain'?"
"Last time I checked, Princess!" Raph growled back, pushing his index finger against her chest armor. "You also have a grudge against Leo's training-"
He moved his finger just as the Kunoichi went to grab it, intent on snapping the damn thing in two. A snarl turned Miwa's usually beautiful face, into that of a cold-blooded killer. "Don't call me princess!"
As the two teenagers continued to scream into each others faces, Leonardo had long walked away from them. Now stood alone, he breathed steadily through his nose, letting his chest fall evenly. In his head, the turtle was mentally counting to four, a childish technique his father had taught him when he was younger to keep his anger in check. But one that worked well to keep the level headed leader sane around his siblings.
With his anger washing away with each breath, the sounds of the factory came back to him, passed the roars of his brother and sister that was. But one sound, was out of place. The rapid breathing of someone nearby.
Leo only had to glance back to the abandoned shaft to see Donnie on the floor, clutching his heart whilst panting like he had just run a eleven mile marathon.
His gaze softened, and he looked back at his other siblings, changing his face to stern. "Guys!"
"What?!" The two yelled back simultaneously, having looks that could kill. But at the now near silence, they too could hear the unnatural panting.
"Donnie!" Raph snapped, immediately running to his youngest brothers side and dropping down into a slide. His knees, even with the pads, were screaming at the sudden action, but he couldn't care for his pain right now. By now his oldest siblings had also joined him, with Leo at Donnie's other side, and Miwa crouched just in front of him.
"Donnie! You alright?" Raph called to him, grabbing the free hand that wasn't trying to rip his own heart out. But Donnie didn't answer Raph, or show any signs of ever hearing him. And with his eyes screwed shut, he couldn't see him either.
A fear Raph hadn't known before gripped him inside, and he looked to his oldest brother for reassurance, something the turtle hadn't done since he was just a toddler. "Leo...what's wrong with him?"
Leo glanced to Raph momentarily and then back to the youngest. "He's having a panic attack." He answered simply. But the leader knew it was anything but simple. If only he had known that Donnie had suffered this way, he could of helped him, tried to teach him to maintain them. Because Leo knew exactly what it was like...
But he couldn't think about that know. He had to make sure Donnie was ok, and back up on his feet. That, and Mikey's very life could be depending on them, and they needed Donnie's help to find him.
The leader leaned closer to his youngest brother, and placed his hand gently onto the one Donnie had currently clinging to his clothes. Careful pulling it away from his brothers chest and towards his own, he whispered to him. "Donnie, your ok."
The human shook his head frantically, but Leonardo held firm. "Donatello. Breathe." He watched as Donnie's eyes slowly opened back up and focused on him. And as if it was just a natural reaction, Leonardo began to take a slow deep breath in, showing his brother how too.
"Count with me," Leo hummed gently, holding his other hand up. "four fingers-"
"Y-you don't-t ha-ve f-four fin-g-gers..." Donnie's sarcastic reply came out choppy with how much air he was still trying to desperately take in, and let back out.
In any other case, Leonardo would of eye rolled the teens sarcasm away, but to hear that he was shooting jokes, meant he was coming too. "Donnie," Leo said sternly, and the human teen closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath.
He took in the air, and held the breath for four seconds, still feeling his heart pounding in his ears. But he did his best to ignore it, focusing solely on Leo's voice counting him too four. Even Miwa had joined in with him, as Raph gripped his hand harder. Which was a rare display of emotion from the red-clad turtle.
"Breathe out, Don." Leo says in his calming tone, to which Donnie complies. A near silent whistle escapes the gap between his teeth as his lung let out the held in air.
For a full minute, that was how the Hamatos stayed, helping the youngest to calm himself, while giving reassuring and kind words to help.
With a final deep breath out, Donnie opened his eyes once again and glance around at the sympathetic smiles that tugged at the faces beside him. "T-thank you..." He whispered, and leant forward, away from the wall.
"No problem, Otōto." Leo replied, taking his hand more firmly as he and Raph helped him to his feet.
"Donnie," Leo started carefully, knowing they were currently on a time limit. "I need you to focus. Do you know where Tigerclaw would've taken Mikey?" He asked the question slowly, to help Donnie's calming brain process the words better.
But Raphael scowled at the question, knowing it was said mutant that kidnapped his little brother that caused Donnie to have his panic attack in the first place. "How would he know?" He shot to Leo harshly. "He's been on the floor for the past five minutes!-"
"I-I don't think they took him to headquarters." Donnie interpreted quietly. The three eldest teens turned to him with puzzled looks.
"What makes you say that?" Miwa questioned.
"This is clearly the beginning of a trap of some kind...right?" Leo added, catching onto Donnie's train of thought quickly. The brunet nodded, and Leo narrowed his eyes. "We just need to think ahead."
"Donnie. You know Tigerclaw the best, Is there anywhere you think he'd use as a hideout?" Miwa asked thoughtfully, but at Donnie shaking his head, the others wilted a little.
"I didn't know him that well." Donnie says, "But, if it's a trap he's setting, then he may of used Bradford's dojo."
The teens perked up, at the suggestion. "Bradford's dojo? Why the heck would he use that place?" Raph exclaimed.
"It was where Bradford captured Mikey the first time, right?" Donnie supplied for them.
The siblings scowled at the sour reminder that Bradford had tricked and fooled their innocent little brother into being friends with him, and how heartbroken Michelangelo was for days after the incident.
"Plus, it's somewhere we all know that isn't Foot headquarters. And the trap would need to be somewhere accessible and quick to get to. But not too quick that it gives him time to set it up." Donnie finished firmly.
Leo smiled, grateful to have the genius teen back with them, and nodded his understanding. "It's our best bet so far, Let's move."
"And this time." Miwa stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "We'll do it your way."
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A strong and constant pounding was the first thing Mikey registered as he came too, as well as the sensation that he was floating, or maybe even swinging slightly?
He groaned, and rubbed his tired eyes awake. "Ugh, dudes... my head!" He moaned aloud, "It feels like I just ate a triple jalapeno jelly bean pizza!"
Mikey's baby blue eyes shot wide open when he noticed where he was. Hanging inside of a small and cramped cage, that only allowed for the turtle to be in a sitting position where his knees were drawn to his chin, he hovered above the floor of a dojo.
Or more specifically, Chris Bradford's dojo.
"Um...hello?" Mikey whimpered quietly. Holding onto the bars of his cage, he tried to peer out into the dark room, sensing that he wasn't truly alone. And his senses were right.
"I see you are awake, turtle." The ridiculing remark came from the darkness, as the mutant tiger ran his claws across his sword in corner. Lighting up his face for a second with the sparks that flew away from the screeching metal.
"Tigerclaw!" Mikey gasped, "What'd you do to my bros!"
"Your 'bros' as you say, should be making their way here by now." Tigerclaw mocks, sending his paw sideways, cutting at the rope that hung beside him. Mikey's cage jutted in the air, before collapsing apart, dropping him to the floor below in a heap.
"But you will have to survive that long first!" The tiger gloats, and with the snap of his paw, Foot-bots begin to flood into the room, all taking up a fighting stance around the turtle.
"Let's see how well you do against the Foot-bots on your own, Cub." With that last comment, Tigerclaw threw Mikey's knunchucks down with detest, and walked out of the bots way.
"Whoa! TC!" Mikey begged as he scrambled to his beloved weapons, chuckling nervously. "Couldn't we like, talk this out first?" His request for peace was ignored, making Mikey gulp as the Foot-bots started to come at him.
"Foot-bots! De-shell him!" At Tigerclaw's command, the bots stormed toward Michelangelo.
A bot from behind raised a katana above Mikey's head, and the young turtle acted fast to chain up the blade of the weapon before kicking the bot away, using it's torso as a ledge, to jump into a spinning kick, and knock it away into two more unsuspecting robots.
But as fast as Mikey had knock those three bots down, another three would fill his vision. With eyes glowing red, the three teared they way over to him, throwing kunai and shurikens alike at him. Mikey was able to dodge them effortlessly and ran to the other side of the Foot.
He brought out his kusarigama and stuck the blade into one of the Foot-bots heads, and swung the soldier around, to chuck it at another stood behind him. But it seemed with every bot he took down more would just keep taking their place.
Inside, Mikey was feeling scared, terrified even. But he knew his bros were coming to save him, bound to break down the window from above and knock Tigerclaw and all his robots out at any minute. He just had to wait, and hold on for as long as possible-
"You Hamatos are all the same." The spiteful comment Tigerclaw made had Mikey turning his head, "So trusting." He spat.
A Foot-bot punched Mikey in the side of his arm, knocking the turtle off his balance for another to grab his shoulder. More appeared almost instantly after, grabbing his shell, his head, his arms. It was just like in the elevator shaft all over again, except this time, there was no lift to break his fall as the weight of the Foot-bots pinned him to the tatami mats below.
Mikey collapsed to the floor, and struggled uselessly. He groaned as the bots seemed to get heavier, only being able to watch with annoyed eyes as Tigerclaw stalked toward him. But the larger mutant could see the fear in those big blue eyes, and it caused a oily smile to pass his lips. "You trust that your siblings will come for you in time?" Tigerclaw states with a deep laugh.
"Well, duh?" Mikey adds with an eye roll.
"Hmm. Just as your Master would trust one of the killers of your clan." The tiger spat with displeasure, waving his sword around carelessly. "In the safety of your own home, no less."
A snort from below made Tigerclaw glance down to see Mikey with an amused smile on his face. "Hah!" The freckled turtle shot back a sarcastic laugh, "Donnie wouldn't kill anyone!"
"No?" The tiger questioned rhetorically, he leant closer to the pinned turtle, close enough that Mikey could feel the felines breathe hit his face. Resting thetip of his blade on top of Mikey's shell. "But Daiki would."
"Now I know you're lying!" Mikey exclaimed with pride, "Because Donnie would've told me if he did anything like that!-"
"Would he?" The loud interruption caught Mikey off guard, and the young mutant shrank into his shell a bit. "He would of told you how he helped his Master murder your entire clan, like the rats that they were?" The question was left to ponder in the air for a while, as Mikey gulped in a much needed breath.
"Um...yeah...well-" His mind ran empty, but Mikey knew, deep down inside, that the tiger was only trying to get to him. "I don't believe you!" He shot back, like a five year old bickering with another.
A cruel smirk showed Tigerclaw's fangs, as he snapped his fingers. "Chain him." He ordered, and the Foot-bots moved instantly. Grabbing said turtle off of the floor, and walking to the back of the room with him. "We will leave him as bait for his 'siblings'."
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Quick shadows dashed across the rooftops in the night, completely silent as they made their way through the city.
The four teenagers arrived at the dojo in a matter of minutes, hiding on the roof behind a water tower. Donnie and Raph peered round the corner to scout the area.
"Anything?" Leo asks from beside them.
"Can't sneak in. Security camera." Donnie replied whilst pointing out said devices.
"No sweat." The hothead smirks, he reaches behind his shell and pulls a pigeon seemingly out of nowhere. "I got this."
"It's not just one." Thr brunet warns, "The entire roof is bracketed by surveillance."
Miwa and Leo share a knowing smirk as Raphael begins to pet the pigeon, stroking it's head feathers gently, before lifting his hand up to allow the pigeon a easier take off.
Within seconds, flocks of pigeons began to swarm the rooftop. Or more specifically, the surveillance cameras. They peaked at the small screens inside the devices, sat in the way of their recordings, and just generally did normal pigeon things.
Raphael ran over to the glass window of the rooftop and opened it, allowing the others to sneak over. Donnie went through first, but not before staring at Raph in pure amazement. Leo patted the red-clad turtle on the shoulder, and jumped down, as Miwa just continued to stare and smirk.
"What?" Raph asked at his sister's cocky look.
"Who's the princess now?" She quipped, and ducked into the room below before Raph could slap her.
The hothead sighed, and gave a thumbs up to his pigeon friend on the roof as he disappeared into the room below.
The teens ran swiftly and silently along the wooden support beams of the dojo, scanning the room below for their brother as they went.
And there, sat tied to a chair with duct tape on his mouth, Michelangelo was. Being guarded by three Foot-bots in front of a doorway of some kind.
Raphael gripped the wood under him tightly, suppressing the growl that threatened to escape as he saw his little brother tied up and afraid. And from the irritated faces next to him, Raph guessed that the other three were feeling the exact same way.
They moved to stand over Mikey, with only their shadows being casted on the floor from the moon lights glow. The youngest turtle saw the shadows and looked above, seeing his siblings had come for him. His smile grew bigger, only for him to remember what Tigerclaw had said earlier.
"Mphh!" His eyes widened and he shook his head frantically, "Mphhh!!"
But the others either didn't catch on to his warning, or didn't care to risk it, as Raph and Miwa jumped onto the bots beside Mikey, and Leo dropped onto the one infront.
"Mphh!" Mikey tried once again to warn his family.
"We can't understand what you're trying to say, Mikey." Donnie said as he jumped down in front of him, removing the duct tape from Mikey's mouth.
"It's a trap dudes!" Mikey cried out too late. As the doors behind him slid open.
Foot-bots poured out of the room, encircling the Hamatos once again, as Tigerclaw stalked forward.
"You got two choices, Tony!" Raph snapped as he slipped his sai under the rope holding Mikey captive, freeing the orange-clad turtle. "Let us go, or walk away from this inside a sandwich bag."
"Let you go?" Tigerclaw asked rhetorically, he let out a short laugh, "But you are bait for a bigger prize, Cubs!" He growled, and bared his claws.
"Let me guess, your after Splinter?" Miwa filled in for the striped feline.
"Precisely." The tiger confirmed, taking a much too comfortable seat at Bradford's office desk. "Your Master will eventually track you down here, and when he shows up, I will capture him for the Shredder. So he may have the privilege of destroying Hamato Yoshi." A snap of his fingers, and all the Foot-bots stood to attention. "Restrain them!"
The robots advanced on them, and the Hamatos drew their weapons to fight. Mikey ran for his abandoned knunchucks in the corner of the room as Raph smashed a few of the bots out of his way, only this time, the teens knew not to hold back.
The red-clad turtle stabbed his sai into the bots, dragging his weapon through their metal bodies and destroying them. Making sparks fell as he went. "Let's smash some robots!" He cheered all too happily, and ran for more.
"They're only 1,000 times better at fighting than regular Foot." Donnie commented back as he whacked one bot around the head, spinning his bō round with his naginata blade ejected, he sliced the head of two more behind him. He pivoted round to slam another bot, but his own staff was stopped by a black Foot staff, as the robot stared at him with glowing red eyes.
A Foot-bot from behind sliced at him with a katana, which he narrowly missed with a quick duck, save for a few strands of hair. Donatello got back up and jabbed his bō at the two bots, only to have them dodge, and clock him in the face, knocking him down.
The Foot-bot took advantage of his injury and rose it's katana blade up, ready to drive it back down again. "Hah!" Mikey yelled as he landed straight on top of the katana wielding bot, spinning back round to then wrap up the other in his chains.
But the Foot-bot grabbed his wrist, holding him in the air, as Mikey began to panic. He slammed his chucks into it's head repeatedly, but the robot held strong, as another robot came from behind Mikey with a blade.
He winced as the robot came closer, only for two yells to sound, as Miwa and Leo charged at both the bots, knocking them away from Mikey. Who stood oblivious for a moment with one of the Foot's arms still holding onto him.
Leo stabbed the armless bot in the neck, before clearing off another two that approached him from behind, as Miwa took out the one beside her by embedding her tantō into it's chest. However, another robot came from the side of her as she finished off the first, and kicked her legs out from under her. It was about to strike her in the back with it's elbow, but Raphael bulldozed it over and away from his sister.
He hammered the bot with blows to the chest, until the Foot was down. Were he raised his sai for the final strike. A sudden chain to the wrist said otherwise, as the Foot-bot holding said weapon, along with three more accompanying it, launched themselves at him.
"Fools!" Tigerclaw laughed as he rested his massive feet on the desk. "My Foot Bots know every move, Every skill, Every attack!"
A solid punch to Raphael's gut, sent him flying towards Mikey. Where the two turtles then crashed into Miwa and Donnie, knocking all four of them at the training dummies across the room.
"We're out of real estate." Donnie winced, rubbing his throbbing head.
A shadow appeared in front of the four teens, as their leader in blue stood protectively ahead. He tilt his head backwards to address his team, "If I order you to run away, will you guys listen this time?"
"Heck yeah!" Mikey cried out, "And we can still call it a tactical retreat, if you want?" A sudden shuriken landing near his head was all that was needed to hurry the teens along, as Mikey quickly bolted up the training equipment in the dojo to the glass roof above.
One by one, the teens scurried up to the rooftop, with Leo closing the hatch back down, hearing the echoing yell of Tigerclaw saying, "Foot-bots! Do not let them escape!" coming from inside. They fled across the buildings, but knew their followers were closing in rapidly...
"All our moves are useless!" Raph states hopelessly.
"What's the plan, Fearless leader?" Miwa asked reluctantly. But the leader seemed just as clueless as the rest of them.
"They know every move I can make!" Leo shouted in defeat. "Every fighting style, skill, every-" that was when a moment of realization hit the oldest turtle, "Wait a sec!"
He glance around at his team, and felt a hit of realization hit him. "Remember King of the Mountain?" He asked suddenly.
"Yeah, sure?" Raph questioned.
"What about it?" Mikey mused, as the teens jumped down from the rooftops to a small unused park. A spot the Hamato's immediately recognised as Donnie and April's hangout spot.
They hopped over the swing set and continued to follow Leo, until the most strict and stuck in his way turtle did something completely unexpected.
"Whoop, whoop, whoop!" Leo called and launched one of his beloved katanas sky high.
The others could only stare in confusion at first. Until they realized that the Foot-bots were all so focused on the unexpectedly thrown weapon, that they didn't even notice Leo throwing the single katana he had left straight into the head of one bot.
The other two bots ran toward the blue-clad turtle as he caught his other katana. And at that moment, the lightbulb in everyone else's head seemed to go off.
"Oh, I get what you're saying, Be unpredictable!" Donatello added together, before ducking passed four bots and running. "Do our thing!" He scanned the park with a calculating gaze, before setting a smug look on his face. He spun round, chucking his shurikens and kunai at the basketball net, dumpsters, manhole covers, and multiple other objects scattered around the park. Until the tiny weapons eventually ricocheted off the surfaces and into the heads and backs of the Foot-bots. "Didn't see that coming, did you?" The brunet quipped cockily.
Flipping off the swings, Mikey danced around the robots while humming a song in his head. He exaggerated his moves when the bots went to strike, dodging in the beat of his own song, and hit back with his chucks twice as hard.
Meanwhile, in less of a delicate display of skill, and more of brute strength, Raphael charged at a crowd of Foot-bots clinging to each other in fear. Like a rhinoceros, he plowed through them with his sai up, impaling two bots in the head as the rest of his body took out three more. He crouched above his destruction in satisfaction, looking at the rooftop beside the park where Miwa and Leo were.
Miwa's fighting style, though honouring her Clan's great techniques, was much more fluid and attuned to the Kunoichi's own body. She relied on herself more then anything to fight, knowing that she was her most skilled and shaped weapon.
She launched herself into the air by jumping from the rooftop shed to the air conducts, and brought her tantō down on top of a bot. Slicing the robot clean in half, before spinning in her crouched position and cutting the legs off of two bots beside her, sending them flying down the rooftop.
Leo slashed down on a bot and prepared to attack another approaching from his side, until a flash of red entered his view as Raphael grabbed the Foot from behind and chucked it over the edge of the building.
Dusting his hands off with a devilish grin, Raph glanced to his older brother. "I never had so much fun following your orders."
"We're even," Leo shot back with a enthusiastic smirk of his own. "I've never had so much fun giving them!"
Shurikens flew passed their heads as Foot-bots began to scale up the building, only the unfortunate robots didn't realise just how unhinged Raphael could be, as the emerald eyed turtle jumped off the side of the apartment with a yell.
Miwa walked up beside Leo and took a tentative look over the edge, "Yeesh, wouldn't wanna be those guys." She muttered in response to the massacre below.
Leo snickered and folded his arms satisfied. "You can say that again." He remarked.
Miwa smirked at her little brother. But the proud look in her eyes abruptly changed to fear. "Move!"
A firm shove to Leo's plastron sent him falling into the middle of the roof, where he quickly got himself back up to see Tigerclaw's blade pushing down upon Miwa's tantō.
The Kunoichi grunted as the much larger, and much stronger mutant continued to lean his weight down onto her blade. She feared that the precious metal would of snapped in two.
With a shout, Leo jumped up and slashed at the tigers back, making the mutant lurch forwards in pain, while also allowing Miwa a chance to move.
A fierce growl erupted from the felines throat as he barrelled his way up to both the teenagers. The two blade wielding Hamatos held their ground as the tiger came at them with claws and fangs, guns and sword swinging, until they found themselves on an entirely different rooftop. Just a few meters away from the Dragon Gate.
"You might as well give up now!" Tigerclaw sneered through his teeth. "The more you fight the Foot-bots, the more they will adapt!" He grabbed hold of Miwa's ankle as she went to strike him from above, and threw her into Leo, knocking both teens against a shed on the rooftop.
Leo gritted his teeth back, and stood up with his shell to the tiger, "Your robots may know our moves... but you don't!" He spun round and launched his katana at the feline.
Tigerclaw batted it away with a snarl. "Fool! A ninja would never throw away their weapon!"
"That's the point!" Leo shouted, leaping into the air to claim his blade again.
At the same moment the leader was in the air, so was Tigerclaw's attention, as Miwa ran under Leonardo and kicked the tiger in the gut. The sudden forced knocked the larger mutant back enough, so that when Leo came back down with his katana in hand, he had a clear shot to his head.
The hilt of Leo's katana smashed into the skull of the striped beast, sending him to his knees in pain. Giving the two oldest Hamatos a open moment for one last strike.
Both teens ran with their blades beside them, and taking a page out of Raphael's book, charged the tiger like a stampeding buffalo, until they threw him backwards over the ledge.
Tigerclaw let out a roar as he fell backwards. He tried to grab hold of the multiple wires hanging the lanterns above the dragon's gate, but one of his most trusted weapon, was now his worst enemy at this desperate time. As his razor sharp claws cut through the thick wires like butter, sending him spiraling downwards with them.
As Miwa and Leo ran swiftly over to the edge of the roof, they had to suppress a laugh from escaping them as Tigerclaw hung above the street, wrapped from head to toe in the cables.
Seeing the two smirking teens above him, only boiled the cats temper further. "You think you have won!?" Tigerclaw bellowed at them from below.
Miwa scoffed and shared a smug look with her brother, "Looks that way, Stripes."
The trapped mutant growled, and released a roar as he began to manically struggle against the tightening wires. "Shredder has destroyed your entire Clan! He will not stop until you are all dead!!"
The two teenagers eyes widened larger at that, they watched the tiger fight against the cable for another minute, But both the Hamatos remained silent for that time. Leo grabbed his sister by the arm, and tried to pull her away from the ledge.
"Leo..." Miwa began, her voice wasn't as steady as it normally was, causing Leo to flinch. "What did he mean by that." The question went unanswered for a second as Leo thought.
Shaking his head clear, Leo turned to his sister. "I'm not sure...but we'll talk to Sensei when we get back." He finished with a hopeful look.
Which Miwa returned with an unsure smile. She nodded and stepped back off the ledge. "Let's head back, the guys are probably wondering where we-"
"Um, guys!" Donnie's frantic call came from the other side of the building, as he stood with his bō staff in hand, and Mikey hot on his tail. "The robots have learned our moves!"
"Our crazy has become normal! I hate that!" Mikey cried with an exaggerated arm wiggle, that looked as if he was doing the wave. But as the several Foot-bots came over the rooftops, they were doing the exact same arm thing as Mikey was, while jumping and stepping weirdly too.
They waved their weapons around as they caused after Donnie and Mikey, and even started to charge into walls as they stalked after Raphael. Luckily the three youngest teens made it to the oldest in time for Leo to throw down a smoke bomb. As the smoke faded, the Hamatos disappeared from the scene entirely.
TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT
"Watch me now!" Mikey called as he let the pinball lose, flying around the machine as his siblings watched on, "Flip, flip. Bing, bing, Zat!" He laughed as he easily destroyed the other's high scores in seconds.
If one were to look at how carefree Mikey was right now, they wouldn't of been able to tell that he had been knocked unconscious and kidnapped less then an hour ago. But needless to say, Mikey had jumped back into his usual happy routine rather quickly. Something that didn't surprise his siblings to much.
"Yeah! You see that? New high score, dudes!" Mikey laughed, and high three'd Donnie next to him.
Donatello pointed his thumb to the machine and looked to the eldest teenagers in the room. "You guys want to play next?" He asked
"Nah, go ahead, guys." Leo replied with a nonchalant hand wave.
The three teens started to walk off in the direction of the kitchen, when Raphael suddenly threw his arms round Leo and Miwa's necks, pulling them closer.
The red-clad turtle glanced away for his own sake of not having to look at his siblings, "Sorry... about the whole dragon's gate thing, and uh...about the argument earlier." He muttered in a tough boy way.
Leo smirked and broke out of his hold to pat his brothers plastron. "Thanks, Raph. But to be honest, I think I needed that type of realization."
"Oh yeah?" Miwa inquired, raising her eyebrow as she elbowed Raphael in the stomach, letting her free aswell.
"Yeah, because now I know that a good leader doesn't try to reform ones thinking to their own." He finished with an ambitious grin, while preparing for the inevitable pain to follow.
His older sister punched him round the arm with a mischievous smirk. "Hey, That's my wise quote of the day!"
"Well, I for one, am glad that this whole thing is behind us." Raph comments uncomfortably and shoulder bashes the both of them as he struts passed, with his arms crossed behind his head. "If you need me, I'll be beating Donnie in pinball."
"Alright." Leo replied simply, "Me and Miwa have something to take care off anyway." He looks to his sister who nods back determinedly.
But as Leo and Miwa left to go see Splinter in the dojo, the other three teens stop what they were doing immediately, and share a moment in silence before following after. They had known something was up with the older two teens since leaving the fight. And curiosity got the better of them.
When Miwa and Leo entered the serene room of the dojo, they found their Father sat in calm meditation, humming quietly to himself. Miwa took the lead, as she and Leo walked over to the rat Master and took a kneeling seat beside him.
"Father," She began respectfully with a bow, to which Leo copied.
Splinter opened his eyes and glanced towards his two oldest, and most formal children, sensing something on their minds.
Miwa nudged her brother in the shoulder, and Leo rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "W-we need to ask you some questions."
"What about, Leonardo?" Splinter asked curiously. The way his son seemed to fidget was making him slightly nervous, but he remained calm for his children's sake.
Miwa sighed, and looked to her father hopefully. "It's about our family, Father." Splinter raised his brow, and waited for Miwa to expand the question. "Our Clan, to be more specific."
The rat's eyes opened wider for just a split second, before he closed them again and reined in his surprise.
It was a question his children had asked him time and time again, Miwa and Leonardo the most, but each time he answered them with a simple, 'They live in Japan.', or 'I do no know much about them.', their hunger for answers would only grow stronger.
But for those many, many years, Splinter had not actually known what became of his beloved Clan after he left Japan. He himself, had only found out four months ago when he fought Saki. And the answer still haunted him now...
"It is late, my children." The rat said tiredly, but not due to physical exhaustion. "These questions will have to wait for another time-"
"Please Father!" Miwa shouted and shot up quickly, catching her father, Leo and three brothers watching at the doorway by surprise. She took a moment to collect herself before continuing, "We deserve to know the truth about our family."
"Tigerclaw told us that there were no Hamatos left..." Leo added quietly beside her. By now, Mikey and Raph had also joined them in the dojo, standing behind their older siblings with worried looks. Even the brunet slowly made his way past the doorway.
"Is that true?" Raph asked with hesitation.
Splinter's gazed focused onto the shrine across from him, and a look of pain passed in his hurting amber eyes. "I'm...afraid so, my children."
When the words left their father's mouth, the four oldest teenagers could do nothing but stare in horrified shock.
Miwa's stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself, dragging the air out of her lungs. "What...?" She whispered breathlessly, her head shaking side to side slowly. "Why didn't you say tell-"
"I did not know, my daughter." Splinter replied with heavy guilt lacing his words. "What I know is only limited by what information the Shredder gave me."
"Shredder." Miwa whispered harshly, her hands clenched into tight fists. "He killed all of them?"
"I believe so, my child." Splinter informed, placing a calming paw on his daughter's shoulder.
"Do you know...for certain?" Leo faltered, his nerves and the unexpected news getting to his rational mind.
His father was about to answer his son with more bad news, but it was Michelangelo who spoke up. "No way, Dudes! None of it's true."
"Why not?" The leader in blue questioned his brother.
"Because TC told me the exact same thing." Mikey declared, clueless of how his family wilted once more. If Tigerclaw had told the same thing to Mikey, as he did Leo and Miwa, that didn't prove it was a lie, in fact, it proved the exact opposite.
With a sad smile, Splinter went to comfort his oblivious son, to try and soften the blow, "Michelangelo."
But Mikey backed away from his father with a determined look, "No Sensei he's wrong! He told me that Donnie helped Shredder, but I didn't believe him, so you guys shouldn't believe them either!"
Splinter's amber eyes shot open, as did Raph and Leo's, while Miwa narrowed hers. Then all together, the four turned their heads slowly over to Donnie, who stood in totally shock by the tree.
"You helped him?" Leo repeated with disturbance in his tone.
The brunets hands flew up as he began to wave them innocently. "No!" He yelled, but his tense shoulders and lack of eye contact said others, "I-I..."
"Tell me the truth!" Miwa snarled. Fury twisted inside her as she tried to get an answer, tuning out all thoughts as she fought to contain the anger. "Did you help him? Did you help the Shredder kill my clan! MY FAMILY!!"
"Donatello?" Splinter asked in a low, but gentle voice.
"I-I never killed anyone, I promise!" The brunet defended quickly. Just looking at the shocked and saddened faces of those he called his family broke him more then he thought possible. His head dropped down, as he could bare to look at them no longer. "But... yes, technically...I helped."
"You what?!" The angered screams caused Donnie to flinch, as Leo, Raph and Miwa all looked as though they were about to jump him. But Mikey ran forward and held onto Donnie's arm protectively.
"But I never killed anyone! I swear!" Donnie tried to reason with them over their growls of anger. "I-I only gave Saki their locations and names!"
Splinter raised a paw in front of his children, stopping them from making any moves forward. He stood with a stern look toward the human boy. "What do you mean by, 'Locations and names'?"
"They went into hiding after the two of you left Japan." Donnie clarified while gesturing to Splinter and Miwa, "But Saki didn't know that, he thought you two were hiding aswell. So he went to any Hamato he could find and questioned them for your location. I only helped him find a few of them that had been off the grid and such. But I didn't know he had killed them until I was like twelve! Even then, it was by accident!"
"How so?" Splinter ushered him to continue.
"I was spying on one of Saki and Bradford's meetings. And Saki was talking about another dead end, and how he...hurt... the Hamato that wouldn't compile." Donnie told him with a guilty and regretful voice. "I told Bradford to explain everything to me after that, and he did."
The teens and Splinter were quiet in thought for a while after he finished. All processing the news differently.
Miwa shook her head slightly, "But you still helped-"
"Don't you think I feel guilty for what I did!" Donnie yelled with tears threatening to spill, "I was twelve when I learned that I had assisted in the deaths of eight people! Do you know how much that fucked me up! I didn't know!"
The language alone took everyone by surprise, but the fact that the normally quiet spoken boy just yelled at such a volume was shocking.
Splinter saw the guilt in the youngest boy's eyes, and sighed wearily. He moved over to Donnie quickly, and wrapped him tightly in his arms, pulling the teen's head toward his chest. "This, was not your fault." Splinter whispered calmly, rubbing the boy's head with his paw. "You were used."
"Gomen'nasai...'I'm sorry...'" Donnie muttered back as he buried his head into the maroon robes, his chest heaved as he tried to hold back a full out sob.
Mikey shot forwards and joined the hug, not ever needing an excuse not too, as he whispered to Donnie that everything was ok now.
"This is Tigerclaw's plan." Leo stated suddenly with new found strength.
"What do you mean?" Miwa inquired.
"He wants to break the team apart, to put us all against each other!" Leo explained.
"We can not allow this to destroy us." Splinter confirmed, and gazed to his children for their replies. He let go of Donnie, and Mikey.
The hothead of the group said nothing as he moved forward, placing his hand on Donnie's head, and messing up the brunet's hair. "It ain't your fault, Brainiac." He gruffed out, giving a side smirk to his little brother.
"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Don." Miwa added ashamed, and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be." Donnie says quietly, "What I did was wrong..."
"No, Donnie." Leo interpreted, "Like you said, you didn't know." He placed his hand on Donnie's shoulder and smiled sympathetically.
"Just...promise us something." Leo sighed and made sure that Donnie's mahogany eyes were locked onto his sapphire ones, "No more lies. From now on, you tell us the truth. Got it?"
Donnie's eyes were quick to find the floor, "Hai."
Leo raises a brow at the human's response, "Is there anything else we need to know about you?"
The human teen goes to open his mouth to speak, but before his words come out, Miwa puts her hand up to his face, and speaks up. "And before you answer, just know that I've caught on to your tells. I know when your lying to me- To us..."
Donnie shook his head, and faced the floor with regret. "I can't-"
"Why?" Miwa snaps back.
"Because..." the brunet starts unsurely, "I'm afraid of what you guys will think of me... O-or if you'll-"
"Donatello." The rat called kindly, placing a gentle paw on his shoulder. "I feel it is time the truth came to light, My son." Splinter's children looked to him for a moment with stunned eyes, catching onto the fact that their father had known this secret.
Donnie's mahogany eyes scanned the room anxiously, settling on the four people in front of him watching on baited breath. He took a shaky breath in for four seconds, before releasing the air back out calmly. "I...am a Hamato."
is own.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please leave a review! I love to see people's thoughts and opinions on things!!
Till next time! 3 \(•v•)/
