Hi guys! I'm trying out a new way to write a chapter story, so this one might be a bit darker than my previous endeavors. So basically this one takes place during season three shortly after the Kraang were teleported back to Dimension X. Yukio87 suggested this story idea a while ago, so now I'm rolling with it! Thank you Yukio87!

Could you let me know what you think of it and if you want me to continue it? Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own the ninja turtles...

Shredder stood still as stone from behind the desk, watching with careful black orbs studding Stockman. The metal clad ninja would've sneered at the bug that squirmed under his scrutiny if the situation at hand weren't so dire.

He watched Baxter buzz about, moving like an ant from one side of the table to the other.

"Stockman."

The fly jumped before quickly regaining his balance and scuttling to the other side of the table to where his computer sat, humming happily. "Ssssorry Massster Ssshredder... it'ss almosst complete." Stockman tilted his head quickly to look for approval from his 'master' before typing away on the key pad of the computer.

Shredder nodded slowly, the anger dissolving into pleasure, savouring the sweet feeling of victory the man knew was at hand. "Good. Work quickly." But the victory was short lived when the kraang droid standing idly behind Shredder stepped forward to say his piece.

"Kraang gave what Shredder was asking for, now Shredder give Kraang what Kraang was asking for." The Kraang droid dared a step forward till he was standing directly in front of Shredder, to the ninja's dismay; Shredder enjoyed watching those under him to squirm.

"You will get what you've asked for as soon as I am certain what I've asked for works." Shredder watched the drone make no reply, instead opting to move back to his previous spot.

Shredder squeezed his fingers together till he heard the satisfying crack of his bones snapping, casting all his anger and hate into it. All he could think about was the way his rat 'brother' would squirm, choking in his grasp. 'Revenge is so sweet...' A sneer curved underneath the metal barrier of his mask, a wicked gleam shining in his eyes. '...So sweet indeed.'

The sky was black, greying slightly from the polluted air. White stars dotted the sky, thick and barely visible. All would've been quiet really, save for the bustling down below, moving around like a live animal. It always amazed the four how alive the streets were at any given time, day or night alike.

Except for when the kraang took over New York... A chill settled over Donnie at the thought, snaking down his spine. But that was months ago now, and the dubbed 'pink brain blobs', had been shipped back to their own home world.

Donnie crouched low to the ground next to Leo who was watching the world below with hungry eyes.

"Anything?" Donnie couldn't hide the unease springing into his voice. He never took his eyes off of New Yorks's sky scrapers for telltale signs of the foot sprinkling the city's edges. He relaxed a little seeing nothing but the black polluted skies.

Leo scoffed quietly moving from his crouched position to sit crosslegged but said nothing. His attention was not on his brainy brother squatting beside him, but to the heavy footsteps marching towards them.

"So?" Raph snapped as he stormed forward, causing the brainy turtle to contemplate shying over to the other side of the building's edge. His mahogany brown eyes darted towards the safe heaven of the other side. But he decided against it, holding to the sliver of hope that a fight amongst the two wouldn't happen.

Agitation with the two elder brothers had increased twentyfold, but as to why though? The brainy brother didn't know... And asking was definitely out of the question.

It seemed more and more now that Raph thrived on danger, relying on the pain of his enemies to push him forward. So it was scary to say the least to hang around the exploding turtle. Not that it was any safer to hang around Leo either. Being at odds more than ever with his rivalling brother made the leader in blue a dangerous adversary to be against.

And with the two together? It was like throwing gun powder into a blazing furnace!

So it sorta made sense when Donnie warily watched the growling terrapin, his steps growing heavy with his approach.

"'So' what?" Leo hissed under pressured breath. The elder dared a glance at Raph, standing directly behind him.

'Now might be a golden time to depart.' Don slowly and carefully, afraid to step on live mines, danced around the two with careful precision. He was getting pretty good at spotting the beginning of a flickering match box... And right now the flame was being lit.

"So are there any foot?" Raph placed his hands on his hips, looking down at Leo. "Or is it going to be an unsuccessful night provided by yours truly." At this Raph let out a menacing hiss at the end of 'yours truly'. One that was meant to sting.

Donnie backed up a bit till he was near the other edge of the wall a bit quicker than he should've, but it was that or be in the two's blast radius. Deeming it far enough away from the two he waited with tight muscles for the fight to begin.

With pursed lips, tight into a white line, Leo fought the burning urge to swiftly turn and snap at his younger brother. He knew the bitter 'yours truly' was aimed directly at him, trying to strike his heart with accusing accuracy.

The leader knew he should just drop the comment but Raph needed to learn. "No Raph... But if there were any I lost sight of them, thanks to you. Go back to your post." Leo's words bolted out, hidden with harsh reprimand. It was at times like these where he wished his emiediat younger brother would just shut up.

"Me?! What on earth did I have to do with this?!" Raph's reply was getting more rough by the second.

Donnie winced, casting his eyes away, afraid of what would come next after sputtering such words. Donnie could almost feel the biting comment nip at his own skin. He was sure a evil sneer was playing at the corners of Raph's green lips.

Leo ran a hand overtop his face trying to wipe away the brewing anger spewing onto his facial features. He refused to give Raph the pitiful satisfaction of watching the oldest brother loose control over the calm he had. Or what was left of it. Instead he forced his tightening throat to untangle it's self as he cleared it forcibly.

"You are first alerting the enemy of our presence, and, second, you are taking away my concentration." The words left with a bit more venom then intended, each syllable coming out deeper than the last. 'What will it take to run a good team that works together?!' Leo thought bitterly, resisting the urge to let out a sarcastic laugh.

Donnie felt his entire body grow stiff, his eyes widening to the point of saucers. 'Awe sewer apples!' He wanted to point out the obvious as to why Leo would evoke a charging bull. But instead he bit down on his lower lip for fear of being the hot head's next victim to his famous whack up side the head.

Mikey held onto his breath, as if the very air he breathed could shatter the thin hair holding back his brothers. Why would his brothers fight here and now?! He raked his fingers down his face, watching with eyes widening as the two brothers' feud grew in size into something monstrous.

A wicked laugh burst out of Raph's throat. "Me?! Alert the enemy? As in what; bring them here to us? Look at it as an advantage, the fight'll come to US!" Each word sliced the air, seemingly growing in size until it was a shrill cry that pierced the heavens.

The two younger siblings could see Raph's vein bulge with indignation, and it only seamed to grow by the second.

The brainy turtle pushed his hand up to his chest to still his heart, pumping like a freight train, hammering into his head and ringing in his ears. Already Don could feel the beginnings of a headache form in front of his eyes. He gingerly rubbed the sore spot, savouring as the act started to dull it a bit.

"Um bros? Wouldn't that be a bad thing? To, you know, let the foot know where we are?" Mikey tapped his two middle fingers together. His baby blue eyes were averted away from the two storming brothers as if just looking at them would make him wrong.

Feeling the edges of Leo's mouth twitch upwards into a barely concealed sneer, the elder rose from his sitting position to stare at Raph. "Ya Raph, wouldn't that be a bad thing to do?" Leo cocked his head over to Mikey, ignoring the low animalistic growl emitting off of his brother. "You could learn a thing or two off of Mikey, Raph."

Mikey forced his head to swivel between the two older boys, lifting a brow ridge carefully. What Leo had said was meant to be a compliment... right? So why did Leo sound mocking? Opening his mouth carefully, the young turtle croaked out a word, but it was quickly ignored when a noise froze him in place.

The low animalistic growl Raph was emitting grew into something vicious, making Don shy a little farther away. 'What are you doing Leo?!' Don felt his ruby brown eyes grow ten times the size, a cool sweat creasing down his skin. 'What are you doing?!'

But instead of things being resolved peacefully... like it should've been, words were uttered. Words the purple and orange turtles could not hear. For the most part Donnie was glad... Mikey did not need to hear the spiteful, spewing words that would most likely make Splinter's tail straighten.

Mikey wrung his wrists, only stopping when the skin had turned molten green blotched white. Already it was beginning to sting. His stomach churned; he knew he should stop the fight, or at least slow it down. But get in the middle of that?! He had to try something!

"Guys! Stop! What if people hear you?! Splinter's always talking about being silent and all-"

"Just stay out of this, shell fer brains!" Raph snapped, not even bothering to look Mikey's way. Instead, he rammed his hands into Leo's plastron, the elder stumbling back with a satisfying groan that made Raph's smirk grow.

"Mikey's right! If you fight up here, the enemy will be able to find us... come on Leo." Donnie chimed in, the urgency barely hiding from his voice.

"Ya! We'll go back to the lair, eat pizza, watch tv... It'll be great!" Mikey's chest felt like it was going to pop as he leaned into the match, trying to find some way to at least dampen the growing fire. He heard his genius brother whisper something, a groan playing at the ends of his whispered breath. But a sharp intake broke up Don's whispered words.

"Guys! D-down!" Don felt his throat contract, the voice coming out shrill... "Down!" The purple masked turtle barely had time to fall to his knees, bo staff in hand before time seemed to almost slow to nothingness. He saw it... it had taken three of the precious seconds for him to react. For him to warn his brothers. But it was still three seconds too late.

A flash of white erupted into the air, filling the void with sudden gasps and cries that rickashaed into the dry air.

Leo narrowed the slits of his eyes through the thickening smoke trying to make out the figures of his brothers.

"Raph?" Through torrents of coughs, the leader in blue tried to find his brother; but his hand landed only on air. "Guys?" A sickening thud reached Leo's ears, followed by a whack from Don's bo staff. "Where are you?" A light groan flitted through the air before another thump followed; this one stiffer and desperate. A sudden coldness pushed it's way into Leo's body, seeping into his core when nothing but the sting of battle reached his ears.

"Leo!" Mikey's cry ripped through the air. "Leo, Donnie's down! A-and Raph is too! Leo-!"

"Where are you Mikey?!" Leo stammered forward, his gaze darting to anything that moved. "Mikey?!" Leo felt a tremble start in his hands before spreading it's cold fingers down into his legs turning them to jelly. His heart beat faster in the confines of his plastron when no reply came, the only sound was the ringing in his ears.

Leo stumbled forward some more before something sharp snagged his foot, dragging him down. The older terrapin would've smacked his head with a sickening crack for sure if it hadn't been for his palms that cushioned the fall. A sharp jab of pain rocketed into his arms, but Leo bit his lip to clamp down his mouth.

"Mikey?" Leo shouted once he had shakily rolled onto his knees and his tattered breath had stabilized. "Come on guys! Answer me!" Leo squinted his eyes shut when the words ripped out his throat raw.

Standing on wobbly legs, Leo found a wall to stabilize himself with before focusing again on the white smoke. 'Why is this smoke bomb so thick? Is it poisonous?' Leo fought the urge to freeze up. He had to keep going for his brothers... 'Get your head together Leo! Your brothers are fine... You can find them.'

Leo froze suddenly when his skin began to prickle. Quickly turning he tripped backward when the blade of a katana slashed his cheek, the blue ninja barely dodged another oncoming attack.

By now the blue banded turtle could see well enough to make out his attacker... And it made his muscles grow tight and ridged.

"Where are my brothers!" Leo forced down the dryness scalping his voice as he lunged forward, his jaw set in place as both his, and the foot's weapons latched together.

But Leo's threat banged on deaf ears as the soldier went to slam his foot into Leo's before roughly pushing back and freeing himself.

"Did you hear me?!" Leo's muscles tightened, ready for the soldier to strike. "Raph, Mikey, Donnie!? Guys- akk!" His words came out garbled as something hard rammed into the crook of his neck before coming back for more, landing squarely on his jaw.

Stars erupted into Leo's vision, and darkness began to settle it's cold fingers around him. His legs wobbled when determination set within him to stay upright, but they gave out with a snap. Leo's world faded to grey as he landed with a thunk on his side...