Pt. 2!

"Hello?" Croaked out a voice.

Leo slowly turned... no... it couldn't be! Could it? His unvoiced thought was quickly answered as Mikey burst forward up to the cell, peering inside.

"Nickel?! Is that you?"

"Oh my friends!" Croaked out Nickel. He sounds pained... Leo thought as he found the lock and slashed it open with his katana before stashing it.

"Nickel!" Mikey rushed in. "Are you hurt?!" Leo gripped his lower plastron as his stomach lurched taking all of his strength not to loose all the contents as Mikey limped out with the broken and battered form of their mutual friend, Nickel.

Nickel sighed in relief as Mikey gently sat him down on the ground, wincing.

"What happened?!" Leo stated in utter shock, reaching him in seconds... although he suddenly regretted as he took in Nickel's entire form.

Nickel's skin looked sickly pale... his entire form shaking with each breath. He cast clammy hazed eyes over to Leo.

Leo felt his stomach lurch forward again. "What happened?" Leo repeated when he was sure he could speak again.

"While the Foot were fighting you, I moved back a bit to let you and your rather um, spontaneous, brother fight. I must have been their target because the next thing I remember was being pulled into the darkness by a foot and being dragged here..." Nickel breathed out as he leaned his swimming head against the wall. "I was put into this cell. I-I think I'm sick..." A cough made his weak body lurch forward. And he would've fallen off to the side if it hadn't been for Mikey to catch him.

"Thank you..." He whispered, his throat raw as he was placed upright again.

Leo felt a frown form upon his face. Leave it to the Shredder to be the worst enemy ever.

He turned to Mikey.

"Mikey, I want you to take him away from here and bring him back to Donnie." Leo watched as his baby brother smiled warmly.

He stood, slinging Nickel's arm over his shoulder as he did so before passing him off to Mikey. Mikey nodded quickly as his feet trudged forward, Nickel following in slow steps. "I got this bro! I'm I ninja, remember?"

Raph chuckled darkly, hands raising to cross at his plastron. "Mikey, you weren't even stealthy enough to sneak through this insanely dark room!" He then turned to Leo. "You sure this is a good idea?" Raph asked plainly, rubbing his temple.

Why does he always undermine me?! Leo felt his teeth bar... Not even daring a glance at the hothead. "You got a better idea, Rafael?" He felt his heart grow cold as Mikey turned his head to look at the two sputtering brothers.

Raph did nothing but growl and throw his hands in the air. "What ever ya say."

Leo sighed, taking a quick glance to Raph as he stood in the shadows, sais drawn, ready to beat up any passerby.

The two started down the hall again, Leo leading Raph back into the shadows, ever creeping forwards.

Everything is so eerily silent now... Leo thought, a lump now forming in his throat. He tried to dispel it by swallowing, but it did no good.

Leo breathed a heavy sigh of relief; they were nearing the end of the hallway, a wide room appearing...

The leader resisted the urge to rush forward into the large room, his hand already reaching for his T-phone. The cell reception was probably much better in the room so he could call April and get out of there, their mission now complete.

"I've been waiting for you turtles." Leo growled deep in his chest, eyes searching for the intrusion as he entered the room. That call with April could wait.

"Come out and face me Shredder!" Raph drew his sais as his heart beet madly in his chest and he felt revenge bubble dangerously in his throat.

"Where are the rest of your brothers?" Leo felt teeth bar, the image of a broken and bruised Donatello flash through his burning brain.

"You will pay for all the hurt you've caused Shredder! Show yourself!" Leo hollered, his katana sliding out of their holster as he slid into a fighting stance. Dark piercing blue eyes glanced around the room. It was still pretty dark, the corners of the large room holding dark secrets.

Suddenly the room lightened... relieving the Shredder as he stood proudly up in front of the two.

"Why?!" Leo heard Raph scream, he could hear his voice breaking with rage. Suddenly Leo lurched forward barely catching Raph's arm as the hothead raced forward. Fire burned and licked in Leo's moss green arm. But the leader held fast, despite the fact that it was weakening... and fast.

"Why nearly kill Leo and Donnie?! And then take our little brother away?!" Raph hollered, his voice breaking.

"Raph!" Leo spun himself in front of his younger brother, gripping him tight on both shoulders, deep blue eyes trying to make contact with fiery moss green ones.

Raph's breathing slowed as their eyes met. But despite all that, there was still a fire burning bright with anger towards Shredder.

"Why?" Raph repeated once Leo moved hoping Raph would not rashly attack the Shredder.

It seemed like a millennium before he answered, as if pondering with great thought the question that the young turtle had given him. "To destroy your rat Sensei's heart, to strike him at the core!" Shredder curled around his arm snapping his hand into a balled first. He shook it, erupting into a spine curling laugh that shook the walls of the room. "And as for that little weakling of yours, I felt to make sport out of him. To see what the poison would do to someone younger than yourselves."

Raph's eyes turned white with rage as his breaths rattled within... He was going to make the Shredder pay! He thrusted forward with strength he had never known, his legs pushing him onward, his arms outstretched, sais slicing the air in front.

He jumped up, twisting his sais to slice the air vertically as he crashed down upon the Shredder. But Shredder had seen it coming. The sound of gauntlets sliding out cut the air as they came up to block Raph's sai.

Leo charged into the fray. He went to slice Shredder at the legs, but he dodged with ease.

Raph quickly countered by stabbing Shredder but was dodged when he whipped his arm up, swinging it like a club, sending the red turtle flying backward.

"Raphael!" Leo hollered watching with wide eyes.

"You will have the same fate as your brother, Leonardo!"

Leo held back a quick gasp when Shredder suddenly advanced upon Leo with gauntlets out and ready to strike. Dark blue eyes turned white as Leo drew up his katana to easily block the attack and launch one of his own.

Shredder fell backward, stumbling slightly, but he quickly caught himself. He growled, eyes narrowing into little slits. "You will pay for that vermin!"

"Not on my watch!" Raph sped past his recovering older bro. "You nearly took the life of my two best friends! You will pay for that!" And with that, Raph attacked.

Leo felt a smile -though it was fleeting- cross his lips. His brothers weren't just his brothers, they were his family. And though a pain his younger brothers maybe every so often, he would die for them any day.

Leo pushed himself onward hollering out a battle cry, his heart banged violently in his rib cage as he let loose his katana upon Shreddhead. Leo decided to try the upward attack, but he barely saw the fisted hand that came crashing down upon the blue banded turtle's head. There was a sickening crack as stars flashed Leo's vision sending him slamming into the earth below.

He groaned, blurry eyes looking for his weapons... Was that them? He saw them shimmer in the distance.

He reached his arm over to it, his vision clearing slowly.

"Leo! Look out!" Leo snapped his head upward towards Raph's voice. His head swam.

Foot steps... Heavy foot steps... Leo held his breath as he turned slowly. His eyes went wide.

"No! Get up on your feet Hamato Leonardo!" He heard his brother holler. But he was too slow. Shredder hovered over Leo with gauntlets drawn to a deadly point, the tips of them shining into Leo's blue eyes.

Where's Raph? Leo wondered hazily. He needed to get up but his body protested violently, his stomach lurching forward as he shifted.

"Good bye, turtle!" Leo groaned as his head fogged over as he tried to move. He watched as the air whipped by the blades as they came crashing down. Leo squeezed his eyes shut, his stomach twisting.

The air whipped by Leo's face followed by a sickening thud and a light groan. Leo's ears burned as a single thought repeated: What happened? Slowly he felt his plastron for anything, any sign of death's claws scraping him towards it's door...

His eyes snapped open so fast they hurt as they quickly looked towards his chest. Nothing. No blood, nothing... so...?

Leo heard Shredder groan painfully off in the distance.

His chest tightened with a clammy coolness.. something was not right.

He was about to get up when a groan caught his ringing ears. Who was that? Leo turned his gaze towards the noise, his breath catching in his throat. His stomach tightened... no... no!

Raph lay with his shell facing Leo in a fetal position a light groan escaping the young turtle.

"Raph?" Leo whispered, his breath coming out in short gasps as he waited for Raph to move, to say or do anything. But nothing more left the turtle in red.

"Raphael?" Leo hobbled to his feet, his legs shaking slightly as pain invaded. Picking up his katana Leo moved to his brother's side, kneeling down near his hot headed brother. Should I move him...? Leo asked himself before gently lifting up his hand towards Raph's shoulder, pulling him to the kneeling leader. Raph rolled onto his carpas, a groan escaping his throat, but his eyes remained closed. Deep grooves dug into Raph's plastron, already starting to fill with blood...

"Why?!" Leo screamed as his grip on Raph's shoulders shook. He choked back the tears that spilled down his cheeks, landing on Raph's dull, lifeless face. Why would he do that?! Leo screamed inside, the fogginess in his brain starting to dissipate as the raw emotions settled in. Why Raph...?

Gently feeling Raph's neck, Leo let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding. Raph was still breathing.

"I told you freak. You would have the same fate of your pathetic brother! Now, face your own demise!" Shredder's deep voiced hissed around in Leo's head. He winced as the footsteps grew with every passing second. He had to do something...

Reaching for his katana, he picked them up, ignoring the pain firing into his arm as he did so. If he was going to go down, Leo realized as he stood, his eyes turning ghostly white, he was going to take Shredder down with him. No if's, no and's, no but's.

"Face me Shredder." Leo whispered, the coldness in his voice stilling even the deepest of places. His hold on his katana tightened as he watched Shredder raise a brow, circling him like prey.

"If you wish to say your last words," Shredder breathed deeply, his legs working to get him into a fighting stance. "Then so be it, child."

For a second all stood still, the air hanging lifeless... and then suddenly they charged, going head to head. The air electrified with the clash of metal against metal.

I have to win! Leo thought as his arms cried in protest when gauntlets came down to meet Leo's face, his own weapon barly managing to stop it. If I don't win, Raph will be left alone... Leo managed a glance to the fallen warrior behind him, his eyebrows pulling up.

"April?!" Leo shouted, barly hiding the surprise from his voice. He let out a gasp as the gaunulet barely scraped his cheek that came whizzing by.

"Focus on winning Leo! I'll help Raph." April's calm voice hovered over the echoing ring of weapons. And indeed, true to her word, she quickly pulled out her first-aid kit that she had always kept on hand for emergencies like this one.

"How quaint." Shredder took a swing for Leo's legs, missing as Leo barly managed to doge out of the way. Leo flipped over, flying high into the air before crashing down on top of the Shredder, katana slicing down first. "Now your human friend will get to see you perish along with your brother!"

Anger boild bright deep within as Leo charged again after being thrown back from a blow to Shredder's armour plating. Leo's lips set into a thin white line, his jaw setting. No one is going to hurt my family! Leo heard his head scream in pure protest.

He was not going to allow himself to go down that easily!

"I won't let you do anything you monster!" Leo winced as his throat scratched, raw from all the yelling. "You will pay for all the terrible things you've done to this family!" And made me do... He whispered, the image of Donnie, bruised, and broken, flashed again through his mind.

"Ummm, not to hurry this up Leo, but, HURRY! Raph's going to need help soon!" April's eyes grew wide as she felt Raph's pulse... It was wearing thin. He would need real help sometime soon!

He took once again a quick glance behind. His stomach suddenly twisted painfully... Raph was sickly white, his splotchy skin looking more deathly by the second.

"Oroku Saki!" A voice suddenly boomed loudly from behind, stopping Shredder right in his tracks, a sneer finding it's way up his face.

Leo gave a quick and painful gasp, spinning around so fast he thought his head might break. "Sensei!"

"Hamato Yoshi." Shredder's voice was graven, but something pulled at the end of it... Amusement. "Come to witness the destruction of your sons?" He stated it as if it were a fact.

Splinter stood in front of the hallway doors, his clocked hood flying off, his deep brown eyes locking with Shredder's in a deadly game of death. If only looks could kill...

"Sensei, Raph's hurt! We need to get him out of here now! Take Raph and April with you and get out of here!" Leo's eyes turned wide briefly as he saw shredder unguarded, his attention turned fully towards his hated enemy. Leo suddenly dropped to the ground as he sent his leg flying under Shredder's.

Shredder fell down with a bang, and he groaned slightly. But he did not hesitate to quickly stand.

"No my son! Let us take our leave and tend to your brother!"

Suddenly sparks flew in front of Shredder's vision as a closed green fist landed squarely onto his jaw and he flew back again. When he managed to gain control over his vision, they were gone...

Leo gripped Raph's hand tighter and he leaned in a bit when he saw his little brother move, a light groan escape. But that hope was snuffed just as quick as it had come... Raph was just twitching.

He hadn't changed, Leo thought sadly with a sigh. Donnie said that he was just in a light coma and should be out in no time, but they were just words of comfort. It had been two weeks... Two weeks of waiting. Waiting for Rafael to wake.

Don had said twitching was good. That it wouldn't be long... "What a load of nothing..." Leo whispered, his dark blue eyes doing a loop around.

"How's Rafael doing?" Donnie whispered so quiet, Leonardo would've missed it if he weren't a ninja.

Glancing up, Leo watched Donnie as he went to check the heart monitor that beeped, giving quiet reassurance to the brothers that indeed Raph was alive. Leo glanced back down at the hot-head again. How was Raph doing...? The question repeated it's self over and over again.

It was a while before the leader in blue spoke.

"Same... He hasn't changed." He might never change... all because I wasn't quick enough to fight back... He thought dismally.

Donnie nodded, now going over beside Leo after checking up on the sleeping Nickel. "He will Leo. Just give him time." He looked over to the sleeping form of Raph before glancing up to the mournful eyes of Leo, causing Don to smile. Just a bit though... nothing to great.

Leo nodded solemnly. He had to keep believing that Raph would wake up. He had to for his family... for his brothers. A quiet sigh escaped Leo's lungs as he squeezed tighter on Raph's hand. After they had gotten back they had quickly brought him to Donnie who was just finishing the patch up on Nickel... After that? It was a mad house.

Raph was bleeding out, his face had already turned ashen green, and his pulse had dropped considerably. If it wasn't for Donnie...

"How's the leg doing?" Leo broke away from his thoughts to glance down at Don's casted leg.

Don shook his shoulders as he rolled his wheel chair away to check the IV pouring contents into Raph's system. "It could be better, I'm just glad it wasn't any worse."

Leo winced as he felt the urge to crawl up into a ball. They both knew the other half of the sentence that lay buried... but it was still there. It was Leo's fault Donnie was in worse shape then he already had been. And there wasn't a day where Leonardo regretted what he had done...

"I'm sorry." Leo resisted the urge to look up into the Dark brooding eyes of his younger brother.

Don let out a sigh which turned into a low growl, causing the leader to flinch. "It's not your fault! Leo, Ugh, we've been over this. You were under the control of the poison. It. Wasn't. You."

Leo felt his insides curl at the sharpness in Donatello's voice. He wanted to shout that it was his fault... that if he had just ignored his own fevered thoughts that would've saved the turtle in purple.

"I'll be in the kitchen with Mikey helping the chef cook pancakes. See you when you get there." Donnie rolled out the lab doors and towards the kitchen. But he stopped, slowly turning around to face the leader in blue. "You should be there for Mikey, Leo. He needs you more than anything right now. Especially after what he and April did for you." With those few words, the young genius left Leo to ponder on his thoughts.

Leo looked down sadly as he nodded, but he couldn't help a bit of a smile. When Leo was finally back home and had come up with the plan to save Nickel, Mikey came up with a plan of his own. Mikey had asked Donnie to creat an app for the T-phone so when the guys went to find Nickel, Turtle Trackers would be activated, allowing those who had the app to find them.

So when Leo sent Mikey and April to survey the Shreddhead's lair, Mikey explained the plan to April just incase something did go wrong and she got lost or if they had to split. And obviously, they did.

That's how April knew where Raph and Leo were. But why didn't Mikey wanna tell his two brothers what the three of them where scheming?

Leo sat by Raph's side for a few more seconds before silently, as if held down by a heavy weight, forced himself out of the chair. He should follow Donnie and help Mike make the food. "Just get well, ok otuoto?"

His face scrunched up into a frown as he got no answer, his insides boiling with hot anger. Anger at himself... but mainly at the one who had destroyed his family's lives, and left Leo to fix it. To put it back together again.

But that anger dispelled quickly as the image of himself trying to focus on not loosing the contents of his stomach after Shredder had sent a him a blow to the head pushed it's way through. If Leo had just dealt with the fact that he was still healing, and had realized that they should've waited... then Raph would've been ok.

But he shoved that thought into the deepest darkest corner he could. He needed to be strong for his brothers.

"You worry too much, Fear'les..." Whispered a raspy slurring voice, thick with tired pain.

Leo felt stars erupt into his vision as he spun around, barly even giving the weak brother enough time to react as Leo flung himself at Raph. Leo felt the turtle beneath him straighten, his muscles growing taut but Raph quickly relaxed into the embrace, wrapping shaky arms around the leader.

Leo tightened his hold on his young brother as if he might loose him again to the cold depths of the coma, tears paving the way down his dark green skin before colliding with Raph's shoulder. "You bonehead! Why would you do such a thing!?" Leo squeezed Raph's shoulders tight as he pulled away to look into Raph's fogged moss green eyes.

Raph's laugh turned into a cough that shook his frame. "Because you're my brother, and no one hurts my older bro. Not on my watch..." Raph's voice deadpanned as he looked away. "I already let you get hurt once, I wasn't going to let it happen again."

"Raph," Leo warned, his blue eyes narrowing, "your way of thinking is just insane..." His voice broke, water once again misting on his eyes.

"Mmm... I'know..." A snicker pulled on the hot head's lips, but it faltered... "I'm sorry for calling you a looser." Raph's lips pressed into a thin white line. He could already hear Leo's words lashing out of his thoughts as the leader contemplated what to say.

"It's ok bro." Leo leaned in to hug the red bandana turtle again. "I know you never meant what you said. I was just selfish enough to go out on my own and get caught."

"Ya know that's not true, but th'ks fer forgive'n me anyway fearless. Tell the two knuckleheads and Splinter that I said hi."

"Raphie?!" Came a young voice, filled with astonishment. Leo could almost feel the beaming smile of his bright baby brother as he suddenly launched himself upon the turtle pile, giggling like a hyena.

"You're awake!" Donnie exclaimed, barely hiding the surprise out of his voice. "Master Splinter!" Donnie called out excitedly.

Leo felt a light smile dance upon his lips as Donnie laughed with excitement, the gap in his teeth shining. "Raph's awake!" Don rolled over to the bed, grasping Raph's hand tight.

"How do you feel?" Donnie asked, quickly switching over to doctor mode.

"I'm fine... A bit tired." Raph rasped out as the group broke, pulling away.

"Then rest my son, you have a long journey of recovery. Come let us give your brother some rest." Splinter stood in the doorway, a stern, but gentle smile resting upon his face.

"Thank you Sensei." Raph's voice wavered as sleep began to over take him, wrapping gentle arms around him.

Leo pressed his hand against Mikey's shell as he lead him and Don out of the room.

"I'll be back in about an hour to make sure you're doing ok Raph." Donnie quickly stated.

"I look forward to it genius..." Raph's voice was barley audible as his eyes slipped shut.

Leo watched with warm eyes as his two brothers went to the living area. Mikey flopped down with a heavy huff, reaching for the TV remote while Don slowly eased his way out of the chair and sat himself down on the sofa.

"Are you alright my son?" Splinter asked, a paw gently squeezing Leo's shoulder. Splinter walked around to face his eldest son, fixing him a stare that delved into him.

Leo tried to refuse the warm reassurance of his fathers brown eyes... But he couldn't. He couldn't look away.

"Yes Sensei..." Leo forced his lips to course into a smile. I shouldn't bother Sensei with such menial things like this.

"Then why is your smile so forced? Is there something that you wish to not tell me?"

Leo felt his body go ridged as worry laid upon his mind... "Sensei..." Leo opened his mouth to say something but he quickly shut it as no words came out. He tried again, this time finding his voice. "What happened to Donnie and Raph, they were all my fault." There. I said it. Leo thought dismally, looking down to the ground, inspecting the jagged cracks lining the stone.

Splinter rubbed a hand down his white beard as he thought, making a low hmm as he did so. "So you believe that because your brothers are hurt that it it is all your fault?"

Leo wanted to crawl into his shell and never see the light of day. "Hai, Sensei."

Releasing his son, Splinter placed two fingers under his son's chin to gently lift it up so he could look into his blue eyes. "What happened to your brothers is not your fault Leonardo."

Leo felt a growl rise up in his throat and he pushed his fathers finger out from under. "But Sensei! Y-you don't understand! I almost killed Raph and Donnie!" His eyes grew wide quickly as he suddenly realized that he was yelling... At his Sensei. His heart rammed in his chest and his knuckled turned ghostly white. He was vaguely aware of the rushing footsteps and squeaking of wheals that approached the two, but he didn't care any more. How could he when he was the one who nearly murdered his own brethren?!

"Did you do it on purpose then, my son?"

"No." Leo's voice was flatline.

"And you were under control of the poison when you attacked Donatello? Were you not still healing when Rapheal took the hit for you because you could not move?"

"Yes."

"Then it is not your fault Leonardo." Splinter smiled, his hand once again falling to Leo's shoulder.

Leo felt his eyes widen, and for the first time in two weeks, he looked up into his father's caring gaze. "I-it's not?"

Splinter chuckled lightly. "No my child, it is not. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone must deal with the mistakes that they have made. But no one is there to conquer them alone. You have your family. People who love you deeply." Leo smiled genuinely for the first time, but it was subdued when a mischievous glint crossed through Splinter's eyes.

"Master?" Leo held back the screech that took form when Splinter suddenly bent down to lick his eldest child on the head.

"Eew! Sensei!" Leo took a cautious step back, his brothers doing the same.

Splinter snickered as he walked towards the kitchen. "Come my children, let us eat some food and then bring some to Raphael if he is able."

Mikey bounded for the kitchen in a few steps, laughing giddily. But Donnie quickly caught his older brother's arm, stopping him like an anchor.

"I'm sorry I was harsh with you Leo." Leo watched the expression darken considerably on his young brother's face as he continued. "I should have been there for you."

Leo bent down to envelope Donnie in a hug. "You are now, and that is all that matters..." And then Leo whispered quietly so nobody but him would hear. "Just don't tell Raph Sensei licked me... Raph wouldn't let me live that one down."

Donnie couldn't help the chuckle that slipped from his lips. "Maybe... I will if you promise me you won't be all mopey and hide in your shell again."

"You got it brother." Leo let go of Donnie.

He was about to walk away to the kitchen when a thought struck him. "Why did Mikey come to you about the app idea and not me and Raph?"

Donnie's face pulled into a half frown. "Because we knew that you had enough to deal with as is, and Raph?" At this Don couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "As if he would wanna help. His only vision was red at that point. He wanted to kill Shredder, in case you didn't know."

Leo nodded. "Just tell me next time ok?" And then he quickly added, "Those smell like delicious pancakes!" Leo leaned into the scent of fresh warm gooey smelling pancakes.

"You bet they are!" Donnie smacked Leo in the plastron before wheeling away.

Leo heard the family laugh about some joke (Leo would have to ask Mike what it was about later), and sighed contentedly. His brothers were all reunited, Don would be walking around hopefully in crutches sometime soon, and Raph would heal.

Sure what the Shredder did was evil and horrid. But they pulled through stronger, their bond strengthening into a tightly wound knot that would be even harder to undo. And what ever trials they may face, they would face it together. As a family. As brothers.

Now how's that for an ending?! (Probably one of the best endings I've come up with) As always, please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think! Have a great week!