A Dark History

Leonardo crouched, just in front of the door, ready to race into the room and waited.........

Donatello felt his hands slip and he screamed as he fell onto the floor, narrowly missing the Ninja who dodged just in time to avoid contact. He hit the floor and he lost sight. As he lost consciousness he felt the huge crack of the shell on his back and the Martial shou his his Master before he felt or heard nothing at all......

Master Splinter charged out from behind the bookcase, startling the Ninja who quickly regained composure. However, a second was all Splinter needed. He double-kicked two Ninja sending them reeling into the wall. This placed himself before the Ninja and Donatello, yet there was too many. He felt himself moving backwards, and the Ninja were prevailing. Desperately he fought to keep them away from Donatello.

Leonardo heard the commotion from inside their 'Lair' and gave the signal to Raphael and Michaelangelo to attack the two Ninja. Raphael kicked his opponent with crushing force in the ribs. The Ninja flipped backwards and drew a shining Katana sword from his belt. Raphael, undaunted, drew his two sharp Sai's from his own belt and the two faced each other threateningly circling each other, sizing their enemy's up. If the Ninja had been surprised when Raphael had appeared it didn't show. He was a more experienced Ninja that the others who had attacked April, and it was with a calm confidence that he now faced Raphael.

Michaelangelo attacked his opponent in the same manner, but another Ninja waiting by his comrade surprised the turtle with a sai slash to the face. Michaelangelo recovered quickly, and dodged the next sai thrust and the ninja's comrades kicks. He back-flipped out of the 'Lair' and the Ninja followed, unaware of Leonardo waiting outside.

Leonardo punched the first Ninja that emerged after Michaelangelo with such force it drove him into the sewer wall. The other Ninja, the one with the sai, opposed Leonardo who drew his sword. Michaelangelo ran back into their 'Lair' and into Donatello's bedroom where he was suddenly overwhelmed by five Ninja attacking him simultaneously.

Splinter was given a little time when Michaelangelo entered the room to begin a fresh assault. He drew a short knife from his belt and began to strike at the unarmed Ninja in front of him. However, two more Ninja surrounded him with broad swords and he was forced to leave Donatello and move back towards the front room to dodge all their thrusts.

Michaelangelo was hit viciously in the face by a short jo staff, and fell at the Ninja's feet only his shell protecting him from the terrible blows on his back from the jo. He caught the Ninja's foot and tugged hard on it, making the Ninja lose balance and fall hitting his head on the table behind him. He lost consciousness and Michaelangelo was just standing again when a nunchaku caught him around the throat and pulled him back into the lounge.

Raphael avoided a sword thrust narrowly, and threw the sai with perfect accuracy which hit his adversary in the forehead. A small trickle of blood flowed from the Ninja's head as he fell dead to the floor. Raphael grabbed his own blood soaked sai and used the flat handle end to knock down the Ninja who was choking Michaelangelo. However, another Ninja had crept up behind Raphael and hit him with the flat of a sword just as he was helping his brother up. Michaelangelo followed through with a kick to the groin as Raphael fell unconscious but was too choked and dazed to see clearly the five Ninja surrounding him.

Leonardo faced his opponent with a killers fury and an assassins calm. He felled the Ninja after three sword thrusts of his own deadly katana, and then ran back inside the 'Lair'. There he saw Michaelangelo outnumbered and faring badly and Raphael was unconscious. Leonardo had no idea how his Master and Donatello wdoindoing, but he had no choice. Michaelangelo and Raphael had to be the first to aid else they would be killed.

Michaelangelo had always suffered slightly with asthma over the years, but now he couldn't breathe. He kicked out blindly at one Ninja to be hit viciously in the face by another. He fell wheezing over the battered body of Raphael as Leonardo charged towards the five Ninja. They turned just as his katana sliced the throats of the first three Ninja, and Leonardo faced the other two with rage as he saw Michaelangelo wheezing.

Splinter simply could not hold the Ninja off. There were six left, not including the Ninja in the lounge that Leonardo was facing. A nunchuku swept his legs from behind and as he fell two of the Ninja raised him by his arms as a sword was placed under his throat.

"Come with us or die" Said the Ninja with the sword. Splinter was led outside where Leonardo was solely holding back three Ninja, and as Splinter was taken from the 'Lair', he cried out one name "Leonardo!!"

Leonardo fought on bravely as he watched helplessly the Ninja take his Master away. Tears still welled up in his eyes, yet he would not give up. His brothers lives depended on that.

The four Ninja that were left in Donatello's bedroom looked at the turtle, at his broken shell and seemingly lifeless form.

"Let's go. He'll never have survived." One Ninja said, and the three left the room. They stepped into the lounge and saw Leonardo facing three Ninja. One drew a match and lit it, producing a single flame, and dropped it on the ground by Donatello's bedroom door. The flames engulfed the one side of the room, and trapped Donatello.

Leonardo had managed to kill one of the Ninja but four more had surrounded him. He felt all hope abandon him as the six Ninja continued their assault.

Raphael's eyes opened weakly and he saw Michaelangelo shaking violently as if in a fit. Lying his brother down quickly he assessed the situation and saw the six Ninja attacking Leonardo, now penetrating his defence. Launching a fresh assault, despite the choking heat of the flames and the smoke, Raphael charged them, bowling four over. Leonardo thrusted his sword at a Ninja, and felled him with a deadly strike. Thenswunswung the sword around to the other Ninja and cut off the opponents head. Raphael lashed out with his sai into one of the Ninja's heart turning the blade as it entered, a torrent of blood spilling from the wound as the Ninja's legs buckled and gave way. The Ninja fell dead upon the floor as the other three Ninja, sensing defeat raced to the front door. Leonardo ran after them, but when he reached the door they hisapisappeared.

Raphael stood shakily, and knelt beside Michaelangelo.

"We've got to get him out, Leo" Raphael said, a tremor of anxiety and fear in his voice. "Where's Splinter and Donny?"

"They got Splinter, Raph. I don't know about Donny." Leonardo looked towards Donatello's bedroom, the flames licking up the door and the wall. "I have to get in there to make sure Donny's OK"

"Are you crazy Leo? You'll never get in there now - look at the fire!"

Leonardo remained undaunted. "I have to go after Do!!"!!"

"I know. Leo be careful, I'll get Mike out" Raphael gave his older brother a quick hug, and then dragged Michaelangelo outside the 'Lair'.

Leonardo kicked open the bedroom door and felt the heat of the fire on his leg for an instant. He tried to see through the flames into the room, but it was no good.

Finally, in a desperate attempt, Leonardo somersaulted through the door, over the flames and landed with a sickening crash on the carpet. Leonardo looked around and saw Donatello sprawled on the ground, his shell broken in half. He looked dead as his lips were blue and he wasn't moving or crying out in pain.

Leonardo gathered his brother to him, unable at that moment in time to do anything about his physical condition except get him away from the fire. The shell was loose on Donatello's back, but it was still attached to the skin. Both parts of the shell were causing blood upon Donatello's back, especially with Leonardo moving him, but Leonardo had no choice. Leonardo was choking on the severe fumes of the flames, yet he could hear Raphael calling to him from outside and he looked up to see Raphael waving to get his attention.

Leonardo pulled Donatello up to his feet so they were almost standing side-by-side and raised him up above the flames with both hands. Then, with all his strength, Leonardo threw the body of Donatello over the flames and into Raphael's arms.

Leonardo saw Raphael immediately leave with Donatello. Knowing his strength had all but evaporated and this was his only chance left Leonardo jumped over the flames.

He miscalculated badly and the fire caught hold of his skin, but Raphael had come back and was hitting the fire on Leonardo's left arm and left leg with a wet rag. Badly scalded on his left side, Leonardo struggled to his feet, grasped Raphael by the arm and together they left what had once been their home, blazing.

Outside the 'Lair' Leonardo closed the front door as all they had ever held precious went up in flames. He looked at Donatello, and knelt by his side.

Donatello had suffocated due to the intense smoke of the flames. His lips were blue and his face was purple. His shell was cracked and he had no pulse. Leonardo and Raphael immediately recognised the situation as Master Splinter had taught them, and began desperately to resuscitate their brother. Michaelangelo rocked himself, crying steadily, as the two elder brothers continued their laborious task.

Raphael breathed into Donatello's mouth, trying to breathe life back into his brothers lifeless form. Leonardo, the stronger of the two, pounded Donatello's chest.

For three minutes this continued, the flames coming dangerously close to the front door, yet Leonardo and Raphael would not stop. They traded places once Leonardo became too tired to continue, and Leonardo began frantically to talk to Donatello, as if this would somehow wake him from the dead.

"Come on Donny!! Don't leave us!" Leonardo cried, breathing once more into the mouth. Yet, even as he said this, their came a faint choking from Donatello, and then a small cry. The pain of his broken shell was making his eyes water, and his whole body was shaking with shock.

"Thank God!" Leonardo cried, kissing Donatello on the forehead as Michaelangelo drew near. Raphael, looked away as he asked: "Was Splinter in there too, Leo?"

"Of course not. Do you think I would have left him there if he had been?" Leonardo snapped. "They took him, I told you that."

"So, how are we going to find him now?" Raphael asked, his back turned so Leonardo couldn't see the tears in his eyes.