Ch.8: Black Hope, White Rain

"Raph!" yelled Leo and jumped over to help his brother pull away from the machine.

The moment Leo jumped in order to help Raphael though gave Aspa just the oppurnity he needed to break free of his captors grip and slither out like the slimy serpent he really is. Noticing that the bomb was now armed Zixx and Dark Turtles split in order to save their own hides.

Typical villians, always leaving at the last minute when something goes rough. Don and Mike where by Leo's side trying to pry Raph's arm away from the machine before the bomb's timer reached zero.

"It's no use" said Raph keeping his eye on the bomb while it counted down " you guys get out here, I'll be okay,"

"We won't leave you," said Leo.

"No way," confirmed Mikey.

Raph was honored by his brothers willingness to stay and help him out of what had to be the toughest jam in his life, but unfortunately he couldn't let that happen. Using his free hand Raphael punched one of the buttons on the Snake Cannon activating it's sheild layer.

When the shield popped up the other three turtles were pushed away from Raphael who, closest to the machine, remianed behind it's sheild layer. Resisting his brothers pleas for entry Raphael knew that this could very well be his final moment on Earth.

"My sons we must leave now," said Master Splinter. He, Bishop and Serling were already in the HoverShell.

Don and Mikey saw there was no chioce and followed their master's lead. Leo was more reluctant to leave Raphael behind though, but with a thumbs up from Raph Leo finally joined his brothers.

The ride back to Cody's penthouse was bittersweet as the sound of an exploding Cobra Base reached their ears.

Later that night, while everyone else was asleep Leo stood guard by the window looking over the city with his eyes resting on the burned ruins of the Cobra Base. Constable Biggles had apprended all of the Cobra Gang members except for General Aspa himself.

The fire chiefs said that there was no evidence of anyone else that having perished in the blaze so could it mean that Raphael was still alive? President Bishop had to go back to the Peace Corps and restore the Terrian Defense Grid from any damage Aspa had done to it's system.

As his eyes stared at the stars Leo's mind reflected back to a time where he and Raphael got along without there being any friction between them.

They were about nine years old at the time and shared the same interest of nearly everything. Especially star gazing. For just as their eyes landed on those tiny white dots in the sky all the friction between them seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Why the long face Leo?" came a voice interrupting Leo's thoughts.

Turning around in both surprise and relief Leo saw Raphael alive and in the flesh wearing a smug grin on his face. He didn't need another second to think his arms instantly went out around his brother.

"Raph!" he shouted "I can't believe it!"

Leo's shout must have been loud enough for the others to here cause soon Raph was being smothered with endless cries of excitement and enough hugs to suffacate him to death. even Serling seemed relieved, at least that was a good sign.

"But" said Don interrupting the moment " how did you survive?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told ya Don" said Raph "but I'm not to sure what happened either,"

(Flashback)

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Raph's POV

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My arm just wouldn't pull off the machine no matter how hard I tried. The bomb was fixing to go off any minute, but as I prepared myself for the inevitable a techi-colored lightning bolt pierced through the sheild and zapped the snake band off of my wrist.

I don't know who fired that blast, but anyway it's not like I had time to stick around and find out. Just as I was going to leave however a painful groan soon reached my ears.

Turning around I could see Lucy laying on the ground unconious with cuts surrounding her body. It was unmistakeable how much pain she was in and without thinking twice I scooped her up in my arms and ran us both towards safety. We made it out just in time.

I found a secluded area and we spent the rest of the day there. At about eight she woke up, but I was already gone. Let her try to figure out who had saved her life.

(End Flashback)

"And I just walked the rest of the way back to Cody's apartment and here we are," finished Raph.

"What about the defense grid thingy?" said Mikey.

"Bishop probally has it about halfway restored by now" said Don " I'm more curious about that lightning bolt that freed Raphael from the magnetic pull between the snake band and the cannon. What could it be?"

The End