Chapter 1: Patrol

Leo and Mike slipped out of the cover of shadows, eyes flicking back and forth for a moment before they moved again. Seeing how Raph had somehow managed to break his ankle and Don was working on a new contraption, they were patrolling alone. Despite Mike's efforts to remain silent when told to do so, Leo kept shooting him glares for humming softly.

"Sorry," Mike whispered.

Leo sighed and shook his head.

"Just be quiet, there are Foot everywhere in this part of town," Leo hissed.

Mike nodded quickly, shifting nervously as Leo bade him to follow. They moved slowly across the roof and leaned back into the shadows as they looked down to see what the ninja and Purple Dragons were arguing about.

"I can't hear," Mike hissed.

Leo glared in response and Mike winced in apology, mouthing "sorry".

The arguing had stopped though which made Leo freeze completely, eyes narrowed in worry, his body tense as a spring.

Mike's blue eyes, flicked from his brother to the ninja and Purple Dragon's below. Then he locked eyes with his brother and caught the warning there.

Leo tensed and began slowly moving out of the position he was in. Mike followed suit. They made it into open area and then Mike yelped as he stepped onto something sharp.

"MIKEY!" Leo growled, grabbing his brother and bolting for the edge of the roof. Mike ran as fast he could, limping on his injured foot. They got to a building and waited, searching for the enemy.

Leo dropped into a crouch and started looking at Mike's foot. He pulled out a thin piece of wrapped bandage and quickly bound Mike's foot up.

"Let's move," Leo ordered.

"Leo," Mike managed to warn weakly.

Leo jerked around, a hand on his Katana. He stared into the black of the night around them, just able to spot the ninja around them.

"Run," Leo hissed.

"Bu-" Mike started.

Leo shoved Mike aside and jumped forward. Mike stumbled to the side and bolted, just glimpsing Leo dash after him out of the corner of his eye.

They ran, hard, frantic to get away. Leo grabbed Mike and dropped down toward the ground level. They hit the cement and went for the shadows. Ninja shot past over head and Leo pulled Mike toward the man hole cover.

They jumped down, quickly pulling the cover over them and dropping toward the floor below them.

"Awesome," Mike laughed, "we got away."

"It's not funny Mike," Leo snapped, before striding away and heading toward home in a fast sprint.

Mike winced and followed his brother.

"Leo I'm sorry," Mike mumbled as they paused in their journey.

Leo sighed and gave him a gentle look.

"It's fine Mike," Leo said gently, "sorry I snapped."

"Hey I get annoying," Mike said with a shrug before he strode past his brother, "I man come on…what's me without a headache for everyone else around?"

Leo gave him a look and sighed.

"You never cease to amaze me," Leo muttered before continuing on.

"I try," Mike called after him, chuckling as he jogged after his older brother.

Ten minutes later they entered their home and relaxed. Leo paused as they passed Master Splinter's old room.

"I miss him," Mike murmured.

"I know. I do too Mike," Leo sighed.

At eighteen, the brothers had been without Splinter for nearly three years now. He had gone in his sleep, a peaceful death. Leo had shouldered the responsibility of taking care of the family. After six months of struggling to maintain order and keep them fed as well as safe, Leo had collapsed. They had found him sprawled outside of the lair with the groceries he had managed to get, out cold and shockingly thin. He'd been making sure they ate before he did.

It had been a rough couple days waiting for him to wake up and another two weeks before Don gave him permission to start training again.

"So how'd it go?" Raph growled.

Leo turned toward the couch and sniggered when he saw his brother, sitting, arms crossed, glaring, obviously bored, and in a bad mood.

"AWWW poor Raphie is feeling bad?" Mike teased.

Raph growled and hastily got up.

"RAPH SIT DOWN!" came a shout from Don's lab.

Raph shot an angry glare that way before he sat back down.

"How does he do that?" Raph grumbled.

Leo simply chuckled and walked toward the lab, knocking lightly when he reached it.

"Hey Leo, how'd patrol go?" Don asked.

"Figures," Leo chuckled, nodding toward the camera on Raph.

Don cracked a grin.

"How else am I supposed to keep an eye on him?" Don laughed, "So patrol?"

Leo sighed and then glanced at the screen.

"MIKE!" Leo shouted.

Don laughed when Mike literally jumped three feet off the ground as his head whipped back and forth in an attempt to figure out how Leo had seen him. Raph simply jumped and then shot Mike a glare, cracking his knuckles evilly.

Mike "heh-ed" and shot away.

"Mike blew our cover…though he was trying to be quiet this time," Leo sighed.

"Did you find out anything?" Don sighed, raising an eye ridge.

"No," Leo replied flatly, "but I could tell they were making some sort of deal…which doesn't really help us."

Don rubbed his temples before standing.

"Come on Fearless, lets get some dinner going…or I'll get it going and you watch," Don ended with tease.

Leo snorted but followed. Don simply chuckled.

Mike was leaning against the counter munching on chips to which he received a sharp slap in the back of the head from Leo, who stole the chips, sealed them and put them away.

Don shoved the cook book in Mike's hands and started getting things ready as Leo walked off with Tea and a soda for Raph.

Raph looked up and grunted his thanks as Leo handed him the can.

"Good? Bad?" Raph asked, referring to the patrol.

"Useless," Leo mumbled, taking a sip of his tea and rolling his eyes at the car show Raph was watching, "I don't see the concept behind watching this stuff."

"I fix my bike and help Don with the Battleshell…helps to know how some stuff works," Raph muttered in response, "Mike blow your cover again?"

"Accidentally this time," Leo mumbled, "he was trying to be quiet."

Raph sighed and nodded before answering.

"Just wish we knew what they were up to," he grouched.

"Hai, watashi no ototo," Leo sighed. (yes my little brother)

Raph glared at him.

"Shazuka ni ototo-san," Raph snapped.(shut-up little brother)

Leo busted up laughing to which Raph chuckled.

"Sorry," Leo gasped out, just managing not to spill his tea on himself.

"Same, couldn't resist bro," Raph chuckled, "I am bigger than you."

"Yes, but I'm older," Leo shot back.

Raph snorted but shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, wah'eva," Raph muttered.

"DINNER'S READY!" Mike called.

Leo got up and offered Raph a hand up, support Raph as he grabbed the crutches.

~*~

"They have been observing us Master," the ninja whispered.

"Is the trap set?" Oroku Saki asked, just barely visible in the darkness.

"Hai, daimyo," the ninja replied.

"Good," Saki replied.

Reviews please!!!!