#Tmnt 07 Raph

[maddys-nerd-blog]

HI! Welcome to the next installment of the short story!!

I’m so excited to share this next part!! This is gonna get real angsty! Writing this has been tough but I’m glad you guys seem to like it!!

We find out who’s pulling the strings to this scheme in this part, and what’s in store for Danny and Leo. Be prepared for all the whump 🤣 Don’t worry, Katie is on the case!!

Be warned there’s tons of cursing and all the angsty stuff ahead!

SO LETS GET ON WITH THE SHOW!

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Ransom 2

A TMNT Crossover Short Story Fanfic

Part Two: Under Lock and Key

Years ago, when Danny was young and stupid, he thought he was better than everyone else. Why wouldn’t he? His father was fairly wealthy. He grew up plentiful. But the thrill of crime still seduced him— looking up to figureheads like Clyde Barrow caused internal resentment from his old man… which only intensified once Ma died. By seventeen he was an up and coming hustler, bringing tonics and potions to traders off market for a sizable fee. It was his charisma and talent for swindling the shmucks of the Hidden City that caught the attention of Big Mama. And when she’d hired him, Danny thought he’d made it big.

Working under someone as high profile as Mama granted him protection, it gave him leeway to do whatever he wanted as long as he behaved himself and didn’t act a fool. He could rob the bank and come back with plenty of cash to settle scores and debts he and Leonard acclimated through gambling or long nights of binge drinking. Danny felt like he was untouchable.

Until one night where he’d pushed the envelope too far.

He was twenty-three at the time. Leonard was twenty-four. They’d just robbed a police van loaded with gold bars and high tailed it to the harbor— the locals never thought to look twice if they spotted two of Big Mama’s boys carrying out her dirty work lest they incur her wrath. It had been their biggest score since they’d been paired together. With no security guards at the warehouses, no cops, no worries about their bounty being discovered, they felt as though they were kings of the world.

But their high was stubbed when a competing gang— one who despised Mama’s guts— had tracked them to the docks. Had caught wind of their robbery. And decided to take their pent up frustration out on them. They’d stood their ground. They’d barked and cussed and threw punches. But these guys had been bigger. Sturdier. Komodo yōkai.

And they were ruthless.

They hadn’t been above pummeling the two within an inch of their lives to teach them a lesson.

Leonard had his nose shattered. His ankle was sprained. His left ring and pinkie finger were snapped. Danny suffered terrible injuries to his ribcage and spine, his tail stomped on and fractured. He’d never get the scars from his hands and knees off his body.

Needless to say, they’d gone and bitten off more than they could chew.

The cops found them the next morning sitting on the docks bound and gagged in duct tape, their stolen goods taken by the petty thugs as penance. Mama had paid their bail in private, but she hadn’t been pleased that her ‘best hustlers’ were taken by surprise. Danny almost expected her to be understanding of their predicament— it hadn’t been their fault the gold had been swiped. It had been rotten timing. They weren’t to blame.

But instead he’d been backhanded. He would never forget how her ice cold fury stung him, how her elegant smile held a silent mirth towards him, her perfectly manicured nails digging deep into his arm enough to draw blood. Eyes as black as obsidian bore deep into his soul as if to smite him. “Never fail me again,” Mama’s sugary sweet voice dripped with poison. “Or I shall find more lucrative ways of punishing you for your blunders.”

It put the fear of God in him. It had been a wake-up call.

No matter how hard he persisted, it would never satisfy Mama. His efforts would never be good enough. The most he was to her was just a glorified errand boy, someone to take the fall should he be detained, or worse, forsaken by his grandiose employer if he’d expended his talents. One incursion could have landed him into the Nexus as the next sap to be torn to a pulp. The slightest inclination of imperfection would send him across the floor with a twisted back or bruised ribs. It got worse once Mickey joined their fold at such a vulnerable age. The poor eel had to watch his fair share of nasty beatings at Mama’s hands, had to learn how to patch up wounds in a hasty retreat if her attitude was fiery. Leonard had taken up drinking as the quickest method of treatment in this service of hell. Twenty-four years he’d put up with the tirade of abuse and mistreatment. Now he was free.

But Lady Luck had a funny way of paying him back for all his reformed deeds.

Which was how he found himself in this current situation— sitting in the backseat of an unmarked car, Leo on his right, a goon on his left, pistol pushed deep into his side to keep him from resisting.

What a fucking day this turned out to be.

The ride to their unknown destination was spent in complete silence on his part. The two goons up in front were loudly chatting about random sports bullshit Danny could give less of a damn about. Green was stoic, keeping to himself, not having spoken a word since this venture began. That was fine— it gave Danny time to study the street signs and make mental note of where exactly they were going. When they crossed over the Brooklyn bridge he couldn’t help but swallow a lump in his throat; why were they being driven all the way out here?

Green had made a phone call prior to their excursion; Boldly proclaimed that he’d single handedly found and acquired two live mutants. His boss responded in kind, loud and gruff, Danny couldn’t make out the voice perfectly due to the static of the burner phone, but he definitely heard the phrases, ‘Bring them to me alive,’ and ‘Make sure they’re both guarded, take no chances.’

Danny remained quiet, hands folded in his lap, tail curled around his feet the entire ride. Eyes darted back and forth between the tinted windows, his outward appearance maintained a level of calm. He knew better than to look like a sniveling coward, that was what these people wanted. If there was ONE lesson he never forgot from his time working under Big Mama, it was to stay collected, stay cool headed, and no matter how badly they try to break you, do NOT bow under the pressure your captors put you under. Not even for a split second. One sign of weakness and they could use it against you as a weapon.

At his side Leo was staring out the window, hood still pulled up to hide his green face. He’d wrapped his arms around himself, slumped in his seat with an expression that could only be described as despair. Danny couldn’t begin to fathom what was going through the kid’s head. He’d heard stories from the red slider that he had been abducted multiple times before— which was VERY alarming, considering his age and his lack of experience— but he would recount these events with a carefree attitude. Once was at the hands of a washed-up actor who’d taken his role too seriously and had gone insane. Other instances were at the hands of Draxum. And that basket case didn’t need an explanation.

But he knew about Bishop. Had heard terrible things about Mozar from Katie. This kid probably hid his trauma behind a mask everyday just to keep up the ‘comedian’ persona.

Danny’s hands tightened in his lap. This kid’s way too young to be putting up with this ridiculous bullshit. He spared a glance over to the teen, sensing his anxiety. “You okay, Leo?” He asked in a voice that barely resembled a whisper.

Leo’s eyes landed on him, his fingers digging into the fabric of his sleeves. The slider sank further into the seat, beak twitching with fear. “… I guess.”

“You hurt?”

“Just a few bruises and a scrape on my arm.” Leo looked at the rat yōkai with the same expression of concern. “You alright Rat Man?”

“Aah, don’t worry ‘bout me. Been in th’ business long enough t’ handle being roughed up a little,” Danny shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

Leo didn’t look too convinced. “That pipe to the face didn’t look fine to me. You looked like Rocky getting the crap beat out of him.”

Clever kid, Danny thought with a light chuckle. “Yeah. It wasn’t.” Leo smiled a little at his comment, giving Danny a slight moment of relief. At least he’s still got some jokes.

Danny took a look at the clock on the car stereo system, doing so subtly to avoid any questions from his captor. Four-forty. Damn, it was nearly two hours ago that they’d been snatched off the street. Kat was probably expecting them to return home soon with the meds for Don. No doubt she would try to call soon…

“Where is this?“ Leo nudged the yōkai to bring him out of his thoughts. The elder lifted his gaze, coming to find that their scenery had changed. Tall, bolstering buildings that were glistening with lights shifted to grungy, decrepit tenements where graffiti and garbage made up the majority of the sidewalk. There was no soul in sight, which raised concern because there would have at least been a couple dozen pedestrians wandering the street regardless of what neighborhood they’d been driven to— this was New York City; it was rare to come across a block that was completely deserted.

Which could only imply they didn’t want any eyes on them. No witnesses. No possible means of escape if they were in a part of town they weren’t accustomed to.

Cliché, Danny deadpanned internally. Real Dick Tracy-esc. What’s next, a Scooby Doo villain? “Had t’ wager a guess, looks like Th’ Bronx.”

The car door on Leo’s side popped open, pulling him from his thoughts. The driver was standing at the ready, reaching inside to grab Leo by the arm as if to yank him from the vehicle by force. The slider instantly began to fight back, teeth bared, defiant as he barked, “Don’t touch me, jackass!”

“Move!” The driver ordered, this time seizing Leo by the elbow to rip him out. “I can THROW you out if you keep acting like a brat!”

Danny was there in seconds; surging forward to try and rush the guard, only to feel the gun dig deeper into the fleshy bits of his side from behind. “Don’t even think about it, freak,” the goon snarled.

“Lay off th’ kid, bastard!” Danny spat. “Wanna pick on someone yer own size, pick on me! Yer boss said ya needed us alive!”

“We may need you alive,” unceremoniously Danny and Leo were pulled out of the car, Green coming close behind him to shove the gun into the middle of his back. “But Boss never said we couldn’t toss ya around if youse twos tried anything.”

That shitty fake Brooklyn accent is gonna kill me first before you do, Danny thought with an aggravated roll of his eyes. When Leo was pushed forward to start walking, causing the slider to stumble over his feet, the yōkai sent a furious snarl at the bastards as he caught him before he could fall.

“Watch it!” Leo barked, equally ticked off by the rough treatment.

Danny hoisted the kid to his feet with a grunt. “I gotcha, Blue.” He glared at their captors with rage, holding back a slew of terrible curses in order to keep calm. “You good t’ walk?”

Leo nodded, pinning a glare onto their captors. He rolled his shoulder to dull the pain, tugging his hoodie down further to conceal his green face as though it would help. Without any other choice the yōkai and mutant followed the men into the building, any chances of escape going out the window the moment they were pushed through the door.

Dust struck his nose first. The place was utterly filthy. It was probably abandoned for decades; wooden crates stacked alongside the farthest wall, tucked away in the dark corners, some of them empty. The roof had an impressive skylight overhead, some of the glass cracked to create spiderwebbed impressions throughout the windowpanes. Pulleys hung overhead, hooks on chains dormant. He counted three doors: two on the far right side of the room, one with a storage plaque, the other blank, and an emergency fire exit that had been barricaded with cinder blocks stacked atop one another six feet tall.

“Well, look what we have here!” Came a voice from within, taking the mutant and yōkai by surprise. The two were brought into the present as they came to meet the man who had brought them both to this eerie place. “A couple of street rats caught fresh from the gutters!”

Almost immediately his mood turned agitated. “Hun,” he grounded through a hiss.

The massive giant of a man stood in the center of the warehouse with a smug grin plastered on his face, built arms crossing over his chest, staring at the two stragglers with unabashed resentment behind those beady eyes. If there was a way for anyone to look both moronic and oppressive, this man was the dead ringer. “And here I thought you’d forgotten about me,” Hun grinned. “Time flies when you’re on the run from a guy who hates you more than I do.”

Danny’s hands slowly curled into fists, his shoulders tense. Breathe, dipshit. Breathe. “And there ain’t nobody else I could hate more than you, but you’re fulla surprises.” He spat through one of his phony smiles— the one he’d use for situations where he had to put up an act in order to keep a cool head lest he start flying off the handle— flashing all his sharp teeth, never taking his gaze off of him.

The man motioned to his followers behind them; Danny and Leo were shoved forward without hesitation, causing them to stumble to their knees as guns were pressed deep into their backs. Frozen momentarily from this terrifying shift Danny forced himself to keep his composure. Don’t jump to conclusions. They need us alive. Deep breaths. Think. Focus. Raising his eyes up to find Hun’s beady black orbs glaring daggers at him like he was done repulsive animal, Danny kept his voice calm as he spoke. “Nice digs. Didn’t know you upgraded yer hideout decor from ‘Basic Emo Bitch’ t’ ‘Shredder’s Leftovers.’”

“Contrary to popular belief, this warehouse isn’t Shredder’s. I’ve had this place long before the Purple Dragons were taken over by the Foot. We haven’t been able to take back our old territory until he bit the dust. With him and Karai gone, I’ve been staking claims on my turf in order to start rebuilding my… business.”

“Business. Really. That’s what yer calling it now? Yer cute. I didn’t know trading guns and tainted mutagen was yer new forte in crime.”

“If you want to evolve, you adapt. You don’t, you die. I sell what makes the most cash.”

Danny breathed slow, steadying himself, bringing the million dollar question into the conversation. “Care t’ explain why you grabbed us in broad daylight?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hun grinned. “I figured you’d be smart enough to realize what this was.”

“Well since I’m so smart, I’ll take an educated guess and assume this is a hostage negotiation.”

“You have a brain after all!” Hun guffawed. “But, yes. You’re both here to fulfill a purpose. And that purpose is to play the role of bait.”

Bait? That pricked his ears. Danny furrowed his brow, perplexed. “Why?”

Hun’s expression turned into malice— that didn’t bode well. Not even Leo was immune to it, the slider’s beak curled into a sharper scowl. The way Hun’s lips pursed tighter, curling into some kind of strange grin that twisted his stomach, eyeing the two of them like prey…

“I want Kathrine McAndrews.”

Danny stiffened. What…? Katie? He wanted Katie? What business did he have with her? “How th’ hell do you know her?”

“Oh… you know,” Hun reached into his pocket, pulling a piece of paper free. Unfolding it, he held it out for the two to see… “Old friends.”

A wanted poster. One of Bishop’s from three years ago, fraying and tattered around the corners and edges. All their faces stared right back, frozen in faded images. But the price was still as bold as it used to be.

… Ah, fucking hell.

“I’ve caught wind of the woman who axed Bishop and Karai when I came back to town. Some kind of urban hybrid who caused a helluva storm over a couple of mutant freaks,” Hun rolled the poster up, pinning a knowing glare onto Leo. “And from what I’ve heard, she’s willing to do ANYTHING for her precious little pets.”

“We’re not—!” Leo went to stand, but the guns were quickly trained on his head, making the teen stop in his attempt. His yellow orbs glared hatefully at the bigger human, teeth grit as he snapped. “We’re not pets.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” scoffing, Hun knelt to Leo’s level until their line of sight matched. “She totes your lot around like your her purse dogs.”

Leo looked ready to lunge at the bastard. As though sensing this the men behind the slider went from pressing a pistol into his shell to grabbing his arms, holding him back as he struggled. “No she doesn’t! You don’t know her!”

Hun watched this display in mild interest, continuing. “Although I have to give her credit when due. Had it not been for that woman killing Karai, I never would’ve been able to come back to Manhattan and restart my enterprise! I can finally start building everything back up from square one… all thanks to you. A bunch of circus animals!”

“Shut UP!” Leo barked furiously. The kid started shaking, barely able to restrain himself. “Stop talking about my Mom like that!”

“Did I strike a nerve? Or are you just denying the fact you’re her pets?”

“No we aren’t! We’re her family!”

“Oh?” Hun tilted his head to the side. “Then why does she act like you are? Giving you stupid nicknames, dragging you around on walks, teaching you tricks! She might look all ferocious in that wanted poster, but under the facade is a wimpy whore that carries turtles and lizards on her arm like bracelets! You’re as worthless to her as a box of tissues.”

Danny’s fists curled once more, only this time his own anger had been sparked. “Don’t talk about her like that,” he warned, tone icy with disdain.

This caught Hun’s interest. “You got something to say, FREAK?” He leaned in close, close enough to where Danny could barely make out the bastard’s eye color as a muted green. “Or does me bringing up Kathrine have anything to do with it?”

Danny narrowed his gaze furiously. “Don’t put that woman’s name in your filthy mouth.” He could feel himself vibrating from a stewing, building fury that burned hot under his fur, ready to break.

“Kathrine?” Hun slowly smirked. “Then what should I call her? Hybrid? Fugitive? Mutant sympathizer? Monster fucker?” His eyes turned dangerously vile. “Whore?”

The lid to Danny’s dwindling fuse popped off.

“YOU DEGENERATE PIECE’A SHIT—“ he lunged, grabbing Hun by his collar with one hand, bringing his claws across his chest with the other. His momentary stint of anger was over just as it had begun. Men seized him by the back of his shirt and ripped him away from the bigger human, struggling to keep him under control. “SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I’LL FEED YER UGLY ASS TO TH’ SHARKS, MOTHER FUCKER!”

Completely unmoved by his outburst, Hun placed a hand on the spot where long razor claws sliced through expensive looking satin. That same grotesque smirk still resided on his smug face, as though satisfied with something. “If I didn’t know any better,” he sneered. “I’d wager you had feelings for that woman.”

Danny’s heart practically dropped.

Shit. SHIT. He’d played right into his hands. Rookie move, Goddamn it!

“In fact,” Hun stood to his full height, brushing the entire incident off with no regard. “I’d even go so far as to believe SHE has feelings for you, rat. In addition to this,” he cruelly gestured to Leo as though the teen were garbage, making the turtle bare his teeth. “Animal, she cares about. If she truly cherishes you both… I think we ought to arrange for her arrival.”

Danny’s expression turned grim. His eyes fell to Leo, who looked both defiant and petrified. “… she ain’t gonna let you get that far.”

“Meaning?”

“Kathrine’ll rip yer head off if she finds out you hurt her kid.”

“Oh, I won’t harm the turtle… much,” Hun chuckled. “I’m only going to immobilize him. And you.” He snapped his fingers.

Hands were latching around his wrists in moments. Before Danny could get his bearings he was forced to his feet, arms painfully wrenched behind his back. At his side Leo put up a fight, struggling like a wild boar, flailing his legs and trying to throw himself out of his attacker’s hold. When he attempted to spring forward the men behind him grew tired of his antics and yanked the mutant backwards, locking the kid in a chokehold— not tight enough to cut off his breathing, but enough to keep him trapped with no way to wriggle loose.

“Leave him alone!” Danny struggled, only to be pushed to start moving as a response. “Don’t ignore me assholes, don’t hurt him!”

“Damn it these things are annoying!”

“Fucking—! Don’t MOVE, Mutie! Hold still!”

“Get the hell offa me! Lemme GO!”

“You keep trying to kick me one more time! I’ll snap your neck!”

“DON’T THREATEN HIM, YOU C—“

THWACK!

Danny’s head snapped to the side, pain engulfing the bottom of his jaw. Blood pooled in his mouth, the coopery taste making him sick. Leo shouted something he couldn’t catch. The tone of his voice sounded alarmed.

His world ebbed with black spots around the edges of his vision, but his blurry sight managed to make out the fighting forms of Leo being forced up the stairs, a blip of green thrashing as best he could to escape. Danny’s instincts kicked in as he willed himself to move, to help him, to intervene and save the boy, but his own captors did it for him. They all but hoisted him up by the arms to drag the yōkai along the steps— being disoriented from a blow to the face was enough to cause him to sway as he walked.

He counted twelve steps as he went— any information was important in situations where he was being held prisoner— before he was escorted to a small room on the left. Danny’s vision began to clear as he looked up to survey the conditions of, what he could only assume, was to be their prison.

Dark. Boarded up windows. No light coming through. The walls were scuffed and beaten. Two chairs turned away from each other, separated ten feet apart.

Leo was currently being bound to one. He kept fighting to rip himself out of ropes that were being wrapped around his chest, but the men handling him yanked the cords so taut it made him wheeze. The moment he realized he lost control was when he located Danny. Yellow eyes found Danny’s and he called out. “DAN!” The way his voice cracked suggested fear.

Danny’s protective instincts kicked in. Fuck NO.

He threw his head back, fast enough to catch one man off guard as he heard the telltale sound of a nose breaking under the impact. Gathering his resolve Danny spat a mouthful of blood into the eyes of the other goon, smashing an elbow into his ribs. He tore one arm free and went to scratch the man still holding onto his left when somebody grabbed him by the hair to expose his throat, and suddenly there was a knife placed against the soft skin of his neck beneath the fur.

“You freaks are more trouble than you’re worth!” Growled the guy still keeping his arm in a vice. He bent his arm back so tight Danny briefly worried he was going to snap the bone at the elbow clean in two. “Boss says we need you alive, but he didn’t say I couldn’t reach ya some manners!”

He was dragged to the second chair without another word. The knife still remained pressed to his windpipe whilst two other thugs grabbed his arms and twisted them behind the chair. Fear began to freeze his blood dead in his veins as rope was wound around thin wrists. He fought them as best he could— trying to pry himself out of the furniture, kicking his legs, pulling his body as best he could to provide some slack, but the knife dug deeper into his jugular, this time nicking skin, the threat of having his neck sliced open bringing him back to the present danger at hand.

They bound his ankles together and wrapped rope around his torso and waist to pin him to his seat— leaving no wriggle room to slip free or throw himself out of his bonds, he realized. The blade at his throat finally eased off his neck once he’d been secured. “We did some light reading on youse,” said Green. “None o’ yer fancy tricks on my watch.”

“Funny,” Danny rasped, spitting some more blood from his mouth to the floor. “Didn’t think your kind could figure out how t’ read. I figured you were th’ ‘Bumbling Moron’ archetypes.”

A solid punch to the gut rendered Danny into a coughing fit. The yōkai wheezed, pain shooting throughout his stomach like a hurricane. Damn, these guys weren’t messing around.

“Shut yer mouth!”

“Fuck… off!”

Another strike to the diaphragm. This time Danny choked on a cry.

“Betcha wish yer pretty little whore was here t’ make you feel better? Ya pathetic monster!”

“At least I got a woman who loves me. Can’t say th’ same for any o’ you.”

He was clocked in the mouth. Blood flew out of faster. “DISGUSTING FREAK!”

“Stop!” Leo yelled in protest. “STOP! Don’t hurt him! You guys are all so screwed when—“

SLAP!

Danny’s head snapped towards the sound, unmistakable to his ears. He couldn’t see him. He couldn’t make out the state of Leo, couldn’t tell if he was in pain, couldn’t see if anyone was going for a second round. “DON’T YOU DARE HURT THAT KID!”

SLAP! The sound echoed behind him. Leo grunted, but didn’t speak.

Danny fought his bonds with the fervor of a crazed maniac, fighting like live wire touching water. Fury bubbled to the surface. “STOP!”

CRACK!

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

“Or what? You gonna start begging?” Green smirked. “Go on, ratatouille! Lemme hear you beg!” He reached out a hand as if to grab his face—

Real bad move.

One this moron was going to pay for.

Danny snatched the man’s fingers into his mouth and clamped down, hard, violent, to the point of tearing through the weak skin. He dragged his razor sharp fangs through his knuckles and heard a distinct crunching when he reached the middle finger. He tasted the bitter tang of human blood on his tongue. He didn’t let up. He didn’t let go. He wanted the son of a bitch to feel every second of this, he wanted to inflict any kind of pain into this sicko as he could— nobody would hurt Katie’s kid and get away with it.

Green screeched in agony and grabbed Danny by the jaw hard enough to rip his hand free from his mouth. Horrid, jagged lines tore straight through the top of his palm to the tips of his middle and index fingers, exposing sensitive tissue and muscle. Blood oozed in a grotesque display of rich red, staining bronze skin a brilliant ruby shade. The beatings on Leo immediately ceased due to the ruckus Danny created.

“YOU FREAK!” He howled, cracking Danny across the face with an unforgiving backhanded slap. “ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU COULDA TAKEN MY FINGERS OFF!”

He ground out through clenched fangs in a raspy growl. “That was th’ plan, dipshit.”

Silence prevailed in the wake of the act of vengeance. Danny slowly raised his head, fury painting his features a deadly shade, the red masking his jawline and staining his shirt with ugly splotches turning the otherwise bitter rat into something of his former self. A man capable of doing severe damage onto those who dare try to cross him. Even bound to the point of nearly crushing his skin, he somehow looked ready to start going feral.

Danny spat his blood out, the taste revolting. Golden eyes were almost glowing with hatred. A devilish smile full of teeth stained red greeted him, making the man quiver in horror. “Is that… the best… you can do?” He threw his head back and started chuckling maniacally. “Cuz if it is, then your guys are a bunch’a chumps!”

Green stepped back, clearly disturbed. “You’re batshit looney…” he breathed. “What did you just say?!”

“Did I fucking STUTTER?!” Danny roared, the humor completely fizzled out of his voice. He must have looked unhinged with all the blood running down his face, voice full of conviction. “I’ve seen monsters with more fangs than you! I stared into the eyes of yōkai gangsters that were worse than you! If you think you can break me, HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!”

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. All eyes were glued to the yōkai, watching him wheeze through fractured ribs and struggling to stay conscious, but the adrenaline pumping through him body kept him standing.

The message was clear; Don’t fuck with me.

“Danny…?” Leo sounded shaken.

Without hesitation Danny replied. “M’ fine. Nothing these pansies can’t do that I already dealt with before.”

Sputtering in horror over the dark shift in his voice, Green cradled his wounded appendage to his chest and instead snapped at his helpers. “R-Randy! Gag these things and let’s move it!”

Danny’s snarl curled sharper. “Don’t,” he warned as he watched Green walk away out of his line of sight, advancing towards Leo first. “DON’T!” He struggled in his bonds, the chair rocking from the force of his thrashing but no matter how hard he fought the ropes held fast. “You touch that kid and I’ll rip your throat out!”

“Danny!” Leo sounded like he was also struggling. There was movement behind him, the chair the slider had been confined to creaking under his weight. “Back off! Stay the hell away from me—“

The scuffle turned stilted. Danny’s ears prickled at the sudden shift of silence. Desperately he fought to twist and thrash against his bonds to turn himself around, trying in vain to see what was happening behind him. “Kid?! Kid! Talk to me! What’s going on?!”

The struggles behind him picked up. The one guy, Randy, cussed under his breath. Leo grunted and yelped.

“Kid!” Danny yelled again. His stomach churned with dread. “LEO!”

Leo yelped louder— only now his voice was significantly muted, stifled by something.

“Leo!” Danny yanked and pulled violently against the ropes harder, gritting his teeth as he fought with all the strength his body could muster in his state. “Leo, talk to me! LEONARDO!”

“Jesus—“ Green’s tone grumbled in frustration. “Can’t wait for this to be over with!”

“What did you do to him?!” Danny demanded. Footsteps approached him— hands planted down onto his shoulders, holding him in place. “What did you do?!”

“Th’ same thing we’re doing to you,” Green walked into his line of sight once more, handing something over to the guy behind him. “Gotta prep you for the pictures we’re gonna send to your little lady.”

Pictures? Danny’s mind went racing with shock— if they were sending photos to Katie that meant they still had one of their phones.

If they had one of their phones, the tracker was still active. They had to know that.

Katie would be walking right into a trap.

“You BASTARDS—!” Danny attempted to surge forward in the restraints but they held him back, the hands grasping his shoulders clamping harder on him. “I’ll tear ya t’ pieces if you try t’ hurt her!”

“That ain’t up to you,” Green actually started laughing at him, even with his bloodied hand cradled against his chest. “It’s up to Hun. And I hope he guts your floozy like a FISH.”

Rage kicked in like a rush of adrenaline; if he had the strength he’d have torn through the ropes with little to no problem. Danny opened his mouth to start arguing— to scream at him, to protest, to threaten him, to lash out— but it was all his captors needed. One mighty fist grabbed onto his hair and yanked his head back, another took the opportunity to cram something into his mouth while he was being pinned. Taken off guard the yōkai squeaked, going to spit the obstacle out—some kind of spongy material, something thick enough to cut off all type of verbal communication— but the same guy instantly jerked a cloth between his teeth to keep it in place, tying it behind him. Danny shook his head, moving hard and fast to dislodge the strip of fabric, but the grip on his hair was too strong.

“Ain’t so tough now without your feisty words, ah?” Green mocked, laughing at the yōkai as the bastard tied the gag into a knot— Danny grunted furiously as the asshole cinched the cloth tight enough to dig into his fur. “Just another animal needing t’ be muzzled.”

“Mmk—!” Danny swore through the gag. He fought and struggled like a wild cat caught in a net, raising his voice as he screamed. “PPHK MMPH!“

Green fished around for something in his pocket with his uninjured hand, disregarding the gagged captive entirely. Finally, he retrieved a cellphone— bright blue case, black lightening bolt designs. Leo’s phone. “Use this,” he tossed it to the man stepping around Danny. “Take the pictures and let’s get th’ hell outta here. I’m tired of hearing these animals squawk.”

Danny’s hands rotated and twisted in desperation to find some kind of weakness to exploit, digging his fingers into the cords wound tight around his waist, but he couldn’t find anything. The same hand from moments prior latched onto his neck, forcing him to look up into the lens of Leo’s phone camera. In a last ditch effort to shake off his captors he started crying out vehemently. “MMPH!” Danny attempted to move away, but the grip on his neck turned vicious, fingernails digging deep into his skin to cause agony. “Mmphr-PHHKR!”

“Aww, don’t look away. This is the best part!” The goon cackled in his ear. “Don’t ya want your girl to come rescue you?”

Guilt hit him like a runaway train. Katie…

Kathrine was a million things but her recklessness was her worst trait. She was going to be running headfirst into an ambush. They were going to be armed to the teeth— she didn’t know the Dragons had rebuilt. They were going to trap her, take her, possibly put her in some prison cell and hurt her. They’d take the kids. Hun was going to do whatever he desired…

And it was all his fault.

Kathrine… Goddamn it, I’m so fucking sorry.

“Smile, freak.”

**************************

She was moments away from going to the surface.

Pacing back and forth in her living room, hands clutched behind her to fight the temptation to smoke, Katie contemplated her choices on what the hell she was going to do. She was going to wear her carpet threadbare by tracking such a thick path into it.

Four hours had gone by since Leonardo had run off and Danny had gone after him. Four hours since Danny had texted saying he’d found the slider and they were grabbing the medicine.

Four hours of radio silence.

Four hours of nothing. Nothing but anxiety settling in her bones.

“Ma?” Raph poked his head around the corner, watching with concern as Katie continued festering and worrying. “Any word?“

“Nope,” Katie shook her head. “Not even a call.”

“Aw man…” Raph frowned deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. It was rare to catch a glimpse of her eldest in such a stressed state. “Leo goin’ topside like that is never good. Ya think he’s alright?”

“God I hope so,” Katie shuddered. “That boy never knew how to handle tense scenarios— but I can’t say I blame him after all the bullshit we’ve seen.” Unconsciously her fingers traced along the faded scarring on her shoulder, just where flesh met titanium and fused as one to create a new limb. “I’m not one to talk either.”

Raph’s brow pinched in the center, turning sympathetic. Even though he was nineteen there was still emotional vulnerability lurking deep behind lonely brown orbs that more often than not buried his true feelings rather than address them, but the expression on his features was as plain as the mask defining his identity: he was ashamed. Though he would never voice that fact aloud. “I shouldn’t have pushed his buttons. I said some really stupid stuff to him. He never woulda left if I didn’t say anything—“

“Hey, don’t you go saying stuff like that,” Katie scolded. “I know you’re sorry. Ever since Draxum we’ve all been wrung thin. We’re all fighting to stay afloat.” She reached a hand out, placing it upon his shoulder with one of her reassuring smiles. “You’ve been fighting the hardest. I’ve seen it. You’re doing a great job keeping your brothers safe.”

Raph lifted his head, surprise coloring his eyes. “… thanks, Ma.”

The arrival of Casey brought Katie’s gaze upwards. He brought with him a mostly full bowl of chicken broth that didn’t look touched. “How’s Donnie?”

“He’s finally knocked out. Mikey and Mondo offered to watch him,” the vigilante blew a haggard puff of air from his mouth, shaking his tussled locks out of exhausted eyes. “He can’t keep soup down but he swallowed the last of the pills. Where’s Dan and Leo with the rest of the meds?”

“That’s what I’m still wondering,” Katie sighed. “Leo hasn’t called either of you?”

Raph and Casey shook their heads.

Katie frowned deeper in concern. Where could they possibly be?

BZZZT!

Her cellphone buzzed with activity.

Three sets of startled eyes fell to it as it vibrated on the coffee table, the text notifications bright as day as four new messages illuminated the screen. And with it was the name of the sender.

“Leo!” Katie gasped in relief. Snatching her phone she began to breathe easier. “Thank god, he gave me a heart attack,” Half-ready to read a tirade of excuses and apologies from the bromista to cool the hammering of her heart, she opened the texts—

— but what she found made her freeze.

There were two pictures attached to the messages.

Two pictures of Danny and Leo both bound and gagged to chairs, forced to look at the camera to whomever had sent these.

Leo’s hands were tied behind him, cords tightly cinched around his waist, legs similarly bound. A cloth had been tied over his beak. The slider was staring up at the phone with fresh panic in bright yellow eyes, tears staining the gag around his mouth, the ropes binding him digging deep into his body. There were obvious signs of physical abuse to the teen; dark purple bruises blotched his green skin. It looked painful to sit in the chair, his shell forcing him to sit too upright.

Danny looked worse for wear; his hair hung in front of his brow shaggily, golden eyes glaring murder behind the phone. His teeth were gnashing down on a black cloth acting as his gag, ropes winding around his abdomen and chest, arms behind the chair. Blood trickled down his chin and stained his shirt, dark red matting around the right side of his head— he’d been beaten.

And the messages were even worse:

I believe these belong to you. Your days of hiding are numbered. If you want your pets returned alive, you’ll call me. Bring your other freaks to the designated date. Come unarmed.

Three days. Or these two die— Hun.

…

…..

……

FUCK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE WHUMP THICKENS 🤣🤣

I’m super excited to share the other parts! Buckle up cuz the angst continues next time!! Lemme know what you think is gonna happen! Stay tuned! 😁

@queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @figuringitoutasigoalong @wasted-and-ready @lameboobah @goldenflowerdragon

[isitdonproof]

TMNT 2007

[serene-sabo]

Is he gonna be alright? You're still here? Go back to your jungle. Well, at least his personality is still intact.

[bulbabutt]

i did the colour wheel challenge with tmnt characters

[snackugaki]

part 1 

did I have to cut it there? yes. why? because I’m p-e-t-t-y, I’m petty all the time  ♪ ♫ 

but also, the image cap boo

the tags cannot contain my full power some of my really good tags got eaten by the tag limit and they’re grudges I keep in a little pile in my heart

did this silly little fan comic get away from me? ...YES

was I gonna originally stop it there? also yes but you know... I love being snide and petty but after catching covid like a week ago I’m not gonna bring any bad juju with me into next year if I can help it

I forgot how fucking neon the coloring got for awhile in the archie comics

im cryin g this was supposed to be a short’n sentimental’n sweet comic and now look at me, i played myself

look, Venus has waited a quarter of a century, she earned this

i think... what tickles me most about Venus after coming back to TMNT fandom via Rise, is that from what I can see (on tumblr), the kids love her. they love her and make versions of her in the series that came after the 90s. i look at their bios, some weren’t even born when Next Mutation was airing. (and as far as I can tell, Next Mutation didn’t really get much syndicated airtime if any) ...and they still love her. hurt me in my old little heartguts. it’s mostly my generation of tmnt fans who express distaste for her... but the new fans, they love her, they include her in their aus, they make a place for her in their childhood series. hoo h oo giv give me a moment..

if I could pop back into 1998 and tell little 13 year old snackugaki that Venus would be back, I would. all I had were Trini Kwan and Venus de Milo (not ONLY them, just for the purpose of this post) as a fighty, angry little girl. 

all my childhood idols who could fight were calm, level-headed characters who could just happen to throw a villain through a wall if they really needed to. if it wasn’t for them who knows where baby snacku fite meh! gaki would be today. going up against Rhonda Rousey for the championship belt idk, who can accurately estimate the magnitude of childhood influences, not this bitch

if you’re also in PST and wondering why I typed up this post at goddamn 3am then we’re both insomniacs, you didn’t see me, stop snitching

EDIT: I KNEW IT, SOME OF THE TAGS GOT EATEN! HATEFUL! HATEFUL TUMBLR LIMITATIONS! ahhhhh it’s whatevs

[misteria247]

I'd just realized that the Tmnt boys from the 2007 movie are possibly older teenagers/young adults.

Like Donnie and Mikey have jobs. Leo was sent to another country by himself. Raph is basically allowed to leave the lair whenever. All these things are privileges that older teenagers or young adults have. Like these boys might be 17-20 ages.

This is just leaving me baffled fam you don't understand.

[5t4r5and5uch01]

HEY YOU!! STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RAPHAEL NINJA TURTLE‼️🎊❤️

These r all the show/movie versions aka excluding the comics btw sorry but still happy birthday to those Raphies :)

[niphredil-14]

TMNT Rapael/Reader- "Held Space"

A/N: this took me absolute ages and is unedited because i got lazy. shoutout to my now ex-gf for dumping me which gave me the inspiration to finally finish this fic Pairing: Best-friend!Raphael (i imagined this as 2003, but frankly could be any of them)/reader Content Warnings: cheating, insults, toxic bf, best-friend raph Word Count: 2.1k

She stood on the subway, arm reaching up to hold onto the handgrip as she quickly switched her gaze between her phone and her surroundings. There were too many people around, and so little space, but she did her best to shuffle around to keep some semblance of a personal bubble. She was lucky that she didn’t have too many stops between her work and home, and though it felt like much longer to her, within fifteen minutes of hopping onto the train, she was stepping off, eyes flicking down to her phone when it chimed. Unlocking her phone, it opened up to her text thread with one of her best friends, the contact name, raphie, followed by a ninja emoji, a turtle emoji, and a red scarf emoji. She had promised to text him once she had got off work and was heading home. Most of the thread had been meaningless rambles, a few memes, and lots of complaints about the horrors of customer service from her, and even more complaints about Leo from him. It was the newest additions to the thread that captured her attention.

You: I mean, at least my bf’s on cooking duty tonight. I don’t think that I could handle having to cook after today lmao

raphie: yeah, so long as you trust him to not fill it chock full of nuts and not know where your epi-pen is again.

You: yeah that sucked

You: But that was one time! And I feel like it can he easy to forget someone’s allergies if it wasn’t all that important before. And he’s been better lately!

raphie: better as in actually good? Or better as in just not ghosting you for weeks at a time even though you live in the same apartment??

She sighed as she looked down at her phone. Raph had insanely high standard for anyone that was close to the people he cared about, and she was sure that it was just his protective side showing a bit. She figured that if Raph just knew him a bit better, that he wouldn’t be so harsh on him. She thought that it was just because Raph didn’t know him like she did, and that, really, Sam hadn’t been all that bad recently. Things seemed to be looking up. There was a brief time that he wasn’t being so loving, but in the past month, he had really turned around, he was amicable and affectionate, and kept up his side of the chore chart, he was really putting in an effort. And Raph, she thought, just didn’t know what he was talking about. She pondered all of this as she walked the few blocks from the train station to her apartment. With every step, her exhaustion grew, until the reached her door. She struggled with her keys for a moment, before finally getting them into the lock and turning the handle, letting the door swing open. She took a step into the apartment, shutting the door behind her, and dropping her purse down on the floor beside her. It was when the purse did not land flatly as it normally would that she looked down, and found that another purse had gotten in the way of a successful landing. Confusion wrote itself across her face, as her eyes then trailed around the room, finding several feminine items that most certainly did not belong to her. She experienced a strange sense of extreme clarity and clear-headedness that was always so unexpected in moments of great pain and betrayal. She let her gaze travel all over the room a few more times, as she then noticed the sounds emanating from her bedroom. She pulled out her phone and opened her most recent text thread.

You: raph

raphie: ?

You: I need you to come to my apartment now.

She slid her phone back into her pocket, not waiting for a response, and quietly opened the door again.

“Baby! I’m home! I thought you were gonna start on dinner?” She called out as she slammed the door shut. The noises from the bedroom ceased, and she imagined the panic on the lovers’ faces. She waited a moment by the door, and heard a voice yell from the bedroom.

“You have a girlfriend?” A feminine voice spoke. His voice was muffled through the door, though she could tell that the girl with him cut him off. “You fucking asshole!” She heard the two of them moving about in the bedroom, and moved to the kitchen, opening up a cupboard and grabbing a wine glass. The bedroom door slammed open, and a flustered woman stormed out and up to her. “I am so sorry! He told me that he was single, I had no idea, I swear.” She looked at the woman, and despite her anger, couldn’t logically stay mad when she knew that they had both been wronged.

“Not your fault that he’s a lying piece of shit.”

“No kidding.” The woman replied. They both stood there, somewhat awkwardly for a moment before the woman apologized again and left. She was given only aa moment of peace before her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend came stumbling out of the bedroom, evidently only just having finished putting on pants. He was paid no heed, as she reached for a corkscrew in the far back of a cupboard.

“Baby, I can explain!” The words flew out of his mouth, and he took a large inhale, as if preparing to ramble. She cut him off before his lungs had filled.

“There’s no need. You shouldn’t waste the little time that you have to gather your essentials.” She spoke, her voice calm and even.

“What?” He asked, incredulous.

“You can come back for the rest of your things Saturday at 3pm, as for now, just fill a bag or two with your most immediate essentials and leave.”

“The fuck?! You can’t kick me out! This is my home too!” He stepped towards her, and she looked at the clock. She knew Raph wouldn’t ignore her text.

“Not according to the lease. Which has only my name on it.”

“Bullshit! That doesn’t mean shit. And you didn’t even gimme a chance to explain!”

“There’s clearly nothing that needs to be explained. Despite what you may think, I’m not stupid. I’m fully capable of putting two and two together.” She cut off another one of his fruitless attempts to argue. “Sam. My name is on the lease, I, alone pay for the rent and all the bills. On top of my full time job, I also do a solid ninety-percent of the cleaning and chores, and pay for all of your stupid subscriptions. As far as the law, or anyone with basic common sense is concerned, I own this apartment and everything in it. Now, round up your shit, or at the very least your wallet and car keys, while you still have time to get out of my home.”

“The fuck do you mean,’still have time?’ I’m not going anywhere. You can’t force me out of my own damn house.” She could hear the bedroom window be forced open, and the thud of two feet landing on the ground.

“You will leave, or you will be forced to leave.” She said, doing her best to not allow her emotions to show in her voice. He continued to step closer to her, still yelling.

“You really think you can force me to do anything, bitch?” She turned to face him, and looked past him, seeing Raph quickly approach. A smile beautifully matched the cold look glowing in her eyes.

“I don’t need to. You’re leaving.” She said, firmly. He lurched, but a much larger arm than his came around his neck, and applied heavy force, forcing a choked out wheeze to fall from his lips. Sam was pulled backwards into a firm body, his hands unsuccessfully clawing at the arm around his neck.

Raph spoke with a large smirk etched across his snout. “This guy botherin’ you, ma’am?” Humor dripped from every syllable. She returned his smile kindly.

“As a matter of fact, he is.”

“Well, then, lemme take care of that for ya.” Raph said, sliding his arm away from Sam’s neck, and grabbing onto his thumb, twisting so that his body would follow as Raph dragged him to the door and threw him out, leaving him crumpled on the ground, gasping for air. She walked up beside Raph, and tossed Sam’s wallet on the ground in front of him, before retreating back into her apartment once more. Raph gave the pained man a cruel smile as he spoke. “And stay out!” After slamming the door in his face, Raph turned and walked farther into the apartment, reentering the kitchen once more, where he found her finally pouring herself a glass of wine.

He stepped towards her slowly, careful to not startle her. “Hey, uh, you okay?” She stood with her back facing him still. He saw her take a large sip of her wine, looking out the kitchen window. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke, her voice losing its conviction by the syllable.

“I’ll be fine. Thanks, Raph.” He took another few steps until he was only inches away from her. She still kept her back to him, and so he reached out and placed a gentle hand on her upper arm, carefully turning her to face him. As soon as they were face to face, she crumpled. Her lips pulled tight in a grimace, and her eyebrows scrunching up, the skin of her nose and cheeks already flushed and rosy, and her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Oh sweetheart.” Raph said, bringing his other hand up to her un-held arm. “What happened?” Her head lolled slightly to the side, and a heavy sigh escaped her.

“You were right, and I should have listened to you.” She said, her voice breaking at long last. “I just-“ She stuttered. “I just wanted to believe that we were happy and that everything was good, you know?” He nodded along, and rubbed gently strokes on her arms as she told him the events of the night. “I don’t understand why he would do that. I did my best to be a good girlfriend. I did everything for him. Why wasn’t I good enough?” She was rambling, just letting all of her negative and untrue thoughts come barreling right out of her mouth. Raph’s grimace grew as he was forced to listen to all her depressing self-talk.

“Stop that.” He cut her off sharply, more so than he meant to. He attempted to correct his harshness by giving her a small, reassuring smile. “He’s just a dick, you did nothin’ wrong, it wasn’t you.” She inhaled, and he continued to talk before she got a chance to argue with him. “You were perfect, and he didn’t deserve you. I know how much work you put into the relationship, and how much effort you put into planning special things for him. You were not the issue. He was just the biggest piece of shit around, and you were unfortunate enough to fall for him.”

“Raph,” She said, quietly.

“’m not done.” He continued. “He was damn fuckin lucky to be blessed with your presence, let alone to have you as a girlfriend. You got any idea how lucky any man’d be to have you, huh?” She sniffled, and he pulled her in tighter, letting her hide her face in his shoulder. “I wish I coulda convinced you to leave him sooner. You deserve way better than that garbage, you hear me?” She burrowed her face deeper into the scaly skin of his shoulder. “You hear me?” He repeated, and waited until she nodded into his shoulder before he continued. “I know that it hurts now, but believe me when I say that you don’t need him. You could do so much better than him, Sweetheart, you don’t even know.”

The only sound that came from her in response were sniffles, routinely interrupted with a hiccup as she sobbed into his skin. He held her there for several moments, not offering any more words, simply sharing the experience with her and holding space for her pain, but he couldn’t just stand there for long. Gently, he adjusted his hold and lifted her off of the ground, holding her tight to his body, and began to steadily walk into the living room, dropping the both of them down onto the couch. He continued to hold her close, as he rubbed large, slow circles on her back, allowing her to push all of her tears out, uncaring of the slight dribble of snot beginning to drop onto his skin.

“You’re gonna be okay, Hon, I’m here, I’ve gotcha.”

[deadtiredghost]

the only scale that really maters:

[alltheyearsblog]

Did we decide on the head cannon that Raphael knits because of that scene in the Bayverse 2014 movie when they boys are in the Ha'shi, or had that been an established hc by then? I appreciate that we might not actually know which came first, chicken or the egg style, but I’m genuinely curious.

Because 5000000% every single version of Raph knits. Top shelf hc material right there.

[maddys-nerd-blog]

ITS RESCUE TIME FELLAS

For real this time!! Here’s the action packed second part to this chapter!! You’re gonna see a much of Katie’s feral side coming out cuz of the jaguar form. Plus, some Raph, Casey and Mikey action goodness! General warnings like swearing and heavy violence once again!

Hun is not gonna have a good time 🤣🤣🤣

LET US GET TO THE ACTION!

Ransom 4

A TMNT Crossover Short Story Fanfic

Part Four: Revenge

…

…

…

… “— eave the freaks—“…

…

… “— want guns on all doors—“

… a harsh thud, something being thrown without care…

…

…

…

… distorted voices clashing left and right, belligerent and vile, resisting, almost screaming…

…

… “—ou fucking—“

… a sharp crack, something being hit…

…

…

…

…

… thu-thump. Thu-thump…

Thu-thump. Thu-thump…

Thu-thump.

Thu-thump…

… was he alive?

… he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure what this was.

It was as if he’d been submerged underwater: all sound escaped him, muted, garbled by the unknown. If there was any type of noise it was drowned out by a rush of water that pounded through his ears, blocking it out. His body was weightless, drifting aimlessly in this eternal darkness, dragging, pulling, clawing for his soul as invisible hands latched around his limbs and held on. Naturally, he was stricken by a wave of terror.

Was this the afterlife? Purgatory?

Or the entrance to Hell?

He prayed it wasn’t the latter.

He hoped he’d pass on to a place where his soul was forgiven for all the stupid bullshit he’d done as a young man. He wondered if Ma was waiting for him on some sunny beach shore. She always loved the beach…

He thought about the light of his life, emeralds gemstones for eyes dazzling, a radiant smile set ablaze by her beauty.

He thought of her voice… hoping it would lull him into a sense of calm before he went…

…

…

…

… but… he remembered…

Voices. Echoes, words reverberating back at him from the void, filling his being with a sense of purpose…

‘You wouldn’t cut your losses and turn tail, would you?’

‘DAD! GET UP!’

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thumpthumpthump—

Leo… Kathrine… they were in trouble!

He started willing himself to move from this void; arms as heavy as lead writhed and struggled, his legs kicking through a sea of molasses, body thrashing and swimming against the strain of heaviness. The hands around his soul wouldn’t release him so easily, anchored to the very essence of his aura to sink him further. No! Opening his mouth he screamed, screeching and shaking, wailing, crying out in protest. There was nothing he could do, nothing else to offer, nothing but his soul to sustain him as he fought to break free. There were people who needed him. There were things he needed to fix. There were still experiences he had yet to try.

He still needed to help his family.

He still had to look Kathrine in the eye and finally say with his full chest, ‘Marry me goddamn it.’

He swam, he fought, he writhed and kicked and stretched his arms and pleaded, please please I know I ain’t th’ best guy, I ain’t th’ hero, I know I made mistakes, I know I’m not worthy but lemme see her one more time, lemme help her son, please!

With the combined strength of a thousand men, he ripped himself free of the darkness, swimming, swimming, fighting to reach the surface with all his might, extending his hand to grab on to something to pull him free—

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Oxygen.

Awareness.

Sound.

Pain.

This was the reality Danny was brought back to as consciousness crashed into his body like a freight train going off the tracks. Lungs seized momentarily as air caught in his chest, dented ribs yearning to bring life to deflated organs. He choked down the wheezing gasp that brought with it a coppery taste which coated his tongue, making his nausea worsen. Vicious, horrible head pangs hammered all over his skull and brain hard enough to make coherent thinking a chore. A sticky liquid had crusted his hair and caked around the entire right side of his head he realized, not too keen to face the possible doom of hemorrhaging. Danny briefly worried if he were going to slip back into unconsciousness due to the head trauma.

“—all four of you to take point at the rear. Cover the block. Scope the entire street.” Commanded a gravely voice. “She won’t get three feet inside this place without getting shot.”

“Mmmph!” Protested a muffled cry. “Mmhprh!”

“Don’t worry, turtle. First your ‘mother’, then the two of you. If the rodent isn’t already dead, that is.” The deep rumble of insidious laughter followed.

Danny found it a battle to pry his eyes open— his right, he discovered quickly, was swollen shut, only allowing his left vision, albeit hazy and unfocused.

The world spun. He found he was laying on his back, bright lights blinded his retinas and rendered the yōkai queasy. Colors were a kaleidoscope. As he tilted his head to fall to the side where the voices were loudest, he regretted the motion when his skull rattled with a vengeance. Figures taking shape with darker shades stood out, amongst them the giant of a man walking away from a green and blue mess kneeling in front of him.

Leo.

Leo, who sat with his back facing Danny, wrists painfully tied, torso wrapped in rope, ankles also bound glaring at the human as he left. The hoodie he wore was torn at the shoulder and collar. Danny’s heart sank when he spotted the familiar gag fixed back around his mouth to stifle his speech. But his posture suggested defiance. Bound hands were tightened into fists. He knelt in front of the rat with a level of determination, hatred in his eyes.

Was he… shielding him?

Danny blinked his good eye slowly, blinking back the misty vision of the world to better clear its fog. When he breathed his lungs ballooned and his chest heaved, causing the man to choke on air as he coughed against an obstacle stuffed into his mouth. Fucking Hun. First he tries t’ pummel me t’ death then he gags me? If he wasn’t suffering from internal bleeding he’d have rolled his eyes. Danny raised his head as much as he could, pushing the surge of nausea aside as he worked the energy to make himself known to the kid. So, twisting his torso to turn his body to the side the yōkai mewled to get his attention.

Leo’s body went rigid the moment Danny spoke. He whirled himself around, eyes wide, meeting the gaze of his caretaker with a sense of shock. Violet rings hung thick under puffy eyes like he hadn’t gotten any rest in a month, along with a nasty gash across the bridge of his beak that stained the cloth around his face. There was hesitation lingering from the boy’s being, not quite sure if he was imagining things or if Danny truly was alive.

Danny, stubborn as always, chirped weakly to settle his anxiety.

Instantaneously the mutant’s eyes watered. The way his eyes crinkled around the edges, the way his expression brought such a wave of relief, Leo sounded ready to burst at the seams. He whimpered to his guardian in a manner that suggested concern— no doubt about the current condition he’d been forced to endure. He clearly didn’t know the extent of his injuries. For all he knew, his internal bleeding could be getting more severe the longer he laid here like a slab of concrete.

And yet Danny still found the strength to offer Leo a smile. A crooked, weary, broken smile with bloodied teeth chomping down around the gag to provide some semblance of comfort to the boy.

Leo’s whimpering turned into sobbing. Thin tears trailed along the curves of his wounded face, evidence of being pushed too thin, of the last three days worth of stress and confusion catching up to him. Danny’s heart ached for the poor thing; how long had he been out? How long had this kid believed he’d been dead?

Worse yet… what time was it?

Danny’s golden orbs flickered past Leo’s shoulder to gauge what was going on. There were men stationed at the garage entrance— he counted twenty goons all displaying the Purple Dragon logo on their vests, more than he’d previously calculated— armed with firearms of different make, pistols, shotguns, rifles. Hun was talking to three other guys, telling them to head to the back with the others on the second floor. But when he craned his sore neck up to look up at the ceiling once more to find, amidst all the irritating lights currently driving pins into his eye, the skylight displayed a sea of stars drowning in a darkening dusky sky.

Fuck. He thought with a twinge. If th’ time limit is gettin’ close then I gotta figure out how t’ get loose if I’m gonna give Kat any kind of assist once she gets here.

Danny didn’t have to struggle to know he was still tied up; the way his fingers twitched told him his circulation was cut off, they were freezing cold. Movement was still limited by the restraints but what little he could do wasn’t much. Unless he wanted to wriggle around like a hooked bass and speed up the process of his internal bleeding, that was. There was no way he’d be able to get his hands free, he knew, but what else could he possibly do?

At this rate, Kat was good as dead.

Danny twisted one hand around in the bonds, ropes biting down into torn flesh under his fur. Blood crusted between his hands and fingers. No dice. Grumbling with agitation, he kicked his legs out in anger, tail curling around his ankles—

He went rigid. His eye went wide. Hold on a minute…

Tail?

Hadn’t Hun snapped it with the crowbar? With bated breath he went to shift it just slightly enough to evade prying eyes. The bottom half of his tail hadn’t been busted. The upper half was terribly broken, but from the mid-point down he had full mobility of the appendage. There was a searing pain that shot to his spine when he moved it… but it was free.

Holy fuck. Holy. Fuck!

He had an out.

Hun wasn’t counting on him regaining consciousness. He probably assumed he’d done enough damage to leave him totally out cold through the night and hadn’t accounted for the likelihood of him waking up. He’d left his tail unbound.

Danny’s grin turned evilly cocky behind the cloth. Ya messed up, fuckwit.

Sluggishly the yōkai slithered the tail towards the easiest place to reach, his feet. If he could get them free, Danny could sit upright and hopefully untie Leo’s hands— it was a long shot, but it was still a plan. Danny fussed with the knots of the ropes tethering his feet together, the tip of the tail tugging at the sturdy restraints with all the strength he could muster. He must’ve been messing with the damn knot for what felt like an eternity, meanwhile Leo sat vigil at the yōkai’s side, unwilling to let his guard down.

Danny could feel his throat tighten with agony, breathing growing more difficult. The thought briefly came to mind; ‘What if I bleed out? What if I got some kinda puncture in my kidney or liver? What if I’m close t’ passing out before Kat gets here?’

The thought scared him. And he didn’t get scared easily.

He couldn’t die yet. Not when Leo still depended on him. Not when Katie was at risk of getting gunned down. He had to pull through long enough for help to arrive.

He had to. He HAD to…

The knots were starting to give to his persistence, he could feel them waning. That gave him hope. If he could just keep up the pace—

“Well lookie here!”

Danny’s heart thudded in his chest, gaze rising to locate Hun as the bigger man finally took notice of Danny’s awakening. Leo’s anger reappeared, his hands balled into fists, snarling behind the gag as best he could. Fuck, not now. Not now not now why NOW?

“I thought you were dead!” Hun chortled— too loud, too much soprano, too much noise in his jelly-like brain— “You certainly looked the part all damn day! The blood that came pouring outta your ugly face after I beat you senseless? I’ve seen faceless nobodies bleed out a thousand times, but you’re a stubborn little roach!”

Hun stormed towards the two; Leo instantly began to shout around the gag furiously, thrashing in his binds. Danny wanted to calm the kid down before the thug laid his hands on him, but it was too late. As Leo created more noise, Hun shoved the helpless turtle aside, causing him to tumble onto the ground with a heavy slam. Unable to use his arms to catch his fall the turtle struck the concrete unforgivingly hard in a pathetic display of writhing.

“I must’ve crushed th’ back of your head,” Hun surmised, grabbing Danny by the bloodied collar of his shirt. He held him aloft like he weighed nothing, dangling the rat man with one hand in the air. “Your eyeballs almost popped outta your skull! I was certain I killed you, but,” he chuckled. “Guess I didn’t hit you hard enough.”

“Mmrgh…” Danny mumbled behind his gag in an attempt to speak but it did nothing. Keep yer eyes on my face and not my feet, just keep flapping yer yap. All I need is a minute.

“You should’ve seen your boy,” Hun scoffed. “The dumb animal really went savage on me!” Lifting his right hand the man showed off a set of severe bite marks around the space between his thumb and index finger that punctured deep enough to draw blood. Holy shit, LEO did that? “Tried taking my thumb off. Put up a pretty decent struggle before I shut him up. He really doesn’t know when to pick his fights… I guess he takes after you.”

Don’t let him get t’ you don’t let him get t’ you, he’s trying t’ crack you down, do not let him win!

“You should’ve heard it! ‘Don’t touch my Dad! Leave him alone! Wake up, wake up!’ I didn’t know turtles were so worthless without their guardians protecting them. He thought he was actually going to SAVE you!”

Danny’s hands twitched, unable to move, unable to wrench himself free. If he’d had the power he’d have gouged Hun’s eyes out. His expression turned vile against the swelling and bruising. Just a little bit further, he could feel the bonds at his feet giving way. Come on, come on, PLEASE!

“He kept saying, ‘My Dad’s hurt, do something! My Mom will kick your ass!’ I’ve never heard something so hilarious in my entire life! You freaks are so loyal it makes me SICK!” Hun brought Danny closer, their faces eerily inches apart to the point where Danny could see the deep brown irises of the human man, how sinister they were, how his pupils shrank with sadistic glee at the yōkai’s plight. “Why is it you lot are so determined to protect each other? Why do you go so far just to save your kin? In my world, it’s every man for himself. You should know! You were a convict too; I can see it in your eyes, you know what I mean. You’re a guy who’s been in the slammer once. I don’t forget that look in anyone’s eyes. Why stick your neck out for the sake of this dumb terrapin?”

Around his feet the ropes went slack. They slipped to the ground, unnoticed.

Somewhere overhead shadows fell past the skylight, the evening finally setting in. Four figures hovered from the glass panes.

Danny’s heart skipped a beat. Kat.

Hun, confused, looked up to inspect the strange arrival. “Who—“

This moment of distraction was all Danny needed. He held his breath, counted to three—

CRACK! “AUGH—?!”

Danny threw his head forward and smashed his brow directly into Hun’s, hearing the familiar sound of bone shattering. The pain that erupted throughout his entire skull added onto his other trauma and almost knocked him out cold, but he gnashed his fangs into the cloth and fought through it. The moment Hun staggered and his grip on his collar lessened, Danny quickly brought his knee up and, without giving him the chance to react, crushed it under his jaw and cracked his chin in one swift motion. He kicked off Hun’s chest to get himself loose, freeing him of the human’s hold as he dropped to his feet.

Don’t think, just move! Acting fast his aching tail lashed out, wrapping around Leo’s middle as he tried to make a desperate break for the nearest exit, dragging the bound turtle in tow. It didn’t matter if his hands were still tied, it didn’t matter if he could barely move, it didn’t matter, it didn’t, he had to get Leo out of here, clear a space, get him to—

Something was chucked into his spine.

He saw stars.

It hit him with such power it threw him off kilter, sending him tumbling, unintentionally dragging Leo alongside the rat. Danny heard a brick clatter to the wayside.

“YOU STUPID ANIMALS!” Hun tenaciously roared, slightly slurred from the broken nose he currently clutched, drawing a small revolver from his belt as he took aim…

Right for Leo, who sat entangled in the tail wrapped tight around his stomach, who stared at the gun with this strange blank expression, caught in headlights, motionless as though he’d already mentally accepted his fate.

Time slowed.

‘All it takes is one second, Daniel.’

Hun cocked the safety off.

‘One second to choose between life… or death.’

Danny’s heart dropped with terror. He screamed, shoving himself in front of the kid, acting as a living barrier between him and the impending bullet, praying to God for a quick death, praying the shot didn’t go through him and into Leo, praying for Kathrine to forgive him; Kat, Kat, Kathrine I’m so sorry, I love you so much, please don’t hate me, please—

C

R

A

S

H

Glass exploded overhead. It rained down onto the unfortunate bastards caught in their deadly hail, spliced and diced as the shards fell, catching pieces of moonlight in their fractured panes.

Without warning, four shadows fell into the warehouse among them.

One hit the ground hard and fast, a tremor shaking the foundation of the first floor when he landed. Two others dropped stealthily silent at his side, framing the giant. All of them were wearing thick, heavy black clothes and masks.

The last slowly rose to her full height. Covered from head to toe in black, the woman leveled a pair of toxic green eyes onto Hun beneath the hood of her jacket, taking in her target.

In her hand dangled a revolver. The other, his Cloaking Broach.

Katie’s voice broke through the blanket of silence that captured the unexpected audience. With a murderous hiss, she spat Hun’s words right back at him. “You’re going to regret pissing me off.”

She raised her gun to the sky.

She fired.

BANG!

Her shot struck the circuit breaker in the ceiling, taking out all the lights. Electrical sparks showered down around the warehouse.

Soon, a cacophony of voices rang throughout the warehouse as Hun and his lackeys panicked.

“WHERE ARE THEY?! SOMEONE GRAB THE MUTANTS!” Hum exclaimed.

Then, another voice. “LEAVE NONE STANDING.” As dark green and purple tendrils warped around the slim figure of Katie in the pitch black, transforming the woman. Three silhouettes branched off.

Cries bellowed into the dark as the three moved at once. In a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose.

Danny wasn’t taking chances; tail tightening around Leo he all but hauled him out of gunfire range as bullets began to soar and whiz past his ear. The deafening screams and wails of the hapless goons went ignored.

Danny hadn’t gotten a decent look around the premises but he at least managed to find cover thanks to his night vision, however obscured it was; he ducked behind a tall set of crates, pulling himself and Leo behind the sturdy barriers. He didn’t know his long they would hold but for now, it would have to suffice. Despite the chaos unfolding around them he found it easier to breathe.

They found them. They came. They really came. Kathrine had pulled through.

He could feel Leo start to tremble; violent, terrified, full bodied shakes rattled the slider. His breathing turned uneven, uncontrollable. He heard him begin to weep.

Danny didn’t have to be the best medic in the world to know this was a panic attack.

He’d had a gun pointed right at him— he very likely could have been shot and had it not been for the timely intervention of their group, the turtle could have…

Acting on instinct the yōkai hugged the slider close to him— unable to wrap his arms around the boy, his tail curled tighter at Leo’s middle to shield him from the madness. Truth be told, Danny was scared shitless. Anything could go wrong. Anything could happen. But in this small corner Danny was all Leo had to protect him from whatever threat crossed their path. Hell or high water, he would die fighting to keep his promise.

Let them kill me first. I ain’t letting this kid down.

*********************

Five seconds.

That was all it took.

Five seconds for her to break the necks of the lookouts on the rooftop to get by undetected.

Five seconds for Katie to shatter the skylight windows of the warehouse and leap into the fray of goons packing heat.

Five seconds was all it took for her to move when she saw Hun point a pistol at her baby and the man she loved, who threw himself in front of the mutant red eared slider in an attempt to take the shot meant for the teen.

Five seconds of dark red tinting her world in a bloody film.

The Cloaking Broach effortlessly turned her from woman to yōkai, the cover of shadows illuminated her ghastly feline form as terrified thugs began to blindly open fire, pops of light like firecrackers indicating their unlucky locations. In one command her boys pounced into action: Raph taking the stairs. Casey covering the entrance. Mike advancing on the main floor.

Katie bared her fangs as a bloodcurdling growl rumbled deep in her throat, lowering herself into a crouch, the thin fur on her arms and neck rising with unbridled rage. The jaguar form granted her plenty of advantages, one of them the blessed gift of speed and inhuman strength. She had to make full use of their abilities before her stamina wore off. Mouth dropping open she released a gut churning screech that echoed throughout the facility.

Katie took off in a sprint.

Her hands grabbed one guy by the back of his shirt and seized him. One instantaneous snap to his neck and he crumbled. Kicking off his falling body she grappled another man by the torso and took him down, his gun firing sporadically as they collapsed. He didn’t get the chance to scream when she tore his neck open. She ripped the gun from his hands, taking shots towards where the stairs started as three goons tried to ambush Raph whilst he was busying himself with two burly looking jackasses.

Three shots. Three bodies staggering along the stairs. Katie continued moving.

She lunged for another big fellow, a woman this time, trapping her in a corner. She went to throw a fist, but Katie dodged. She moved to uppercut her, but she parried. Using her elbow Katie crushed it into his the and cracked two ribs. Finally she unleashed long, thick claws to sink them deep into the stomach and slashed it open. The sorry excuse for a woman gurgled something that sounded like ‘help’ under her breath. She thought she heard her wheeze, ‘I have babies.’

Katie spat on her.

No mother in her right mind would ever think of harming another’s child. Not unless they were depraved.

“GOONGALAAAAA!” Casey declared nearby, followed by a heavy thwack from his hockey stick as he struck someone. Seconds later an explosive hockey puck blew some guy far back into the brick wall. He skated around a pillar just in time to avoid being pelted with a piece of broken concrete, using the cover to thrust his arm out and catch the man in the torso and tase him with his glove. Dark blue light ignited around the man’s body as he was electrocuted without mercy.

Raph on the other hand sprang forward onto one goon, canines bared like a vicious snake ready to devour its prey. Sai in his fists he used all his strength to bring them up and into the shoulder blades of the hapless moron beneath him, pushing off the man to twist his body into the air and kick one leg outward, striking another bastard in the groin with powerful force. Tearing his sai out of his opponent’s arms he jumped to his feet and tackled the second to the ground, landing devastating punches one after another at the thug’s face, bellowing in outrage with each blow.

“THIS!” CRIK! “IS FOR!” CRUNCH! “MY BROTHER!” KRAK!

“You want some’a this, fool?!” Mikey’s tone suggested anger as he lashed out, nunchucks spinning rapidly, striking with precision and careful timing. The biggest of her kids battered and bludgeoned any man who tried to touch him, expertly weaving and leaping out of harms way in time as a shot nearly took the gentle giant down. He used his height to his advantage to gain leverage over his opponents, striking with deadly precision. “Come GET some!”

“FLUSH THEM OUT! I WANT LIGHTS, GET EYES ON THE FREAKS!” Hun screamed amidst the frenzy of rapid fire and ricochet bullets. “I WANT THEM DEAD!”

You’re going to be dead in ten minutes, but I’m patient, Katie thought.

She flipped over one guy like an acrobat, unknowingly catapulting into another duo of morons that managed to get some solid blows into her sternum and face as she struggled to gain her bearings. A couple of hits to the diaphragm rendered her momentarily stunned, fingers latching into her hair and ripping her backwards to deliver a strong-armed punch to her cheek.

“Stupid—“ Asshat hissed as he went to punch her in the nose. She caught his fingers in her teeth and sank them down to the point of breaking them. When the hand let her hair go Katie struck her palm straight up, breaking the teeth from his mouth and slicing his lips. Katie swung her hands in crazed, rapid motions, cutting him deeper, deeper, slicing his face and torso until she took him down to the floor. Whomever had tried to assist him ran away in fright— smart man.

“MA!” Raph yelled from the second floor, sai clashing into a shotgun, using the prongs to shove the barrel to the side and sideswiping his attacker to take him down. “Three o’clock!”

Her eyes widened. Turning in the direction of the crates, she caught a trail of blood streaking an unsteady line around the corner. In that bloody mess the footprints turned somewhere in the slew of storage containers.

Danny. Leo.

Katie just barely managed to avoid being stabbed from behind as a squealing simpleton attempted to run her through with a switchblade. Seizing his arm she snapped it at the elbow joint and rammed her own straight into his throat, proceeding to body slam him as she cracked his head open like a walnut. She tore the knife from his twitching fingers, clutching it in a fist, claws digging into the metal handle. Where was Hun?

“FUCKING— CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT! WHAT DO I PAY YOU IDIOTS FOR!” Hun shouted in outrage, the unmistakable sound of a Glock disengaged off its safety. “WHERE ARE YOU, RAT?! I’M ENDING THIS!”

Katie’s mouth twisted dangerously into a ravenous sneer.

The clock started ticking.

Ten.

She cut through the rest of the lackeys in her way, moving against the wave of bodies that struggled to find and subdue her. No. No. NO. No man was going to stop her now. Not while she was still breathing.

Nine.

Hun was a fortress as he pushed and shoved his cronies aside like they meant nothing, searching the crowd with ominous intent behind every fiber of his body. He grabbed one of the heavier crates and heaved it across the warehouse— her heart skipped a beat when the massive wooden box hit Mikey dead center in his chest and sent the ‘chuck wielder into a beam shell-first. The sound that came from the metal structure reverberated into her eardrums and made her fur stand straight. “MICHAEL!”

The orange masked teen huffed, getting back to his feet albeit shakily, spitting blood to the side and calling, “Good! I’m good! Just… dizzy!”

“Casey, cover Mike! Raph, on my seven!” Katie cried. She took point as she raced forward. “NOBODY follow me!”

She didn’t want them seeing what she was about to do.

Didn’t want them to see the carnage that was about to unfold.

That was her sin to bare. Not theirs.

Eight.

Hun pushed aside another crate, searching high and low. He fired his Glock randomly at something in his line of sight. The gunshot struck a solid object, but thankfully not any people. “Where are you?! When I get my hands on you both I’ll make you WISH you’d been shot!”

He fired somewhere near his left—

A muffled scream made her stomach seize.

Daniel. That was Danny’s voice.

And from where she stood a mere twelve feet away, she saw understanding cross Hun’s repulsive features.

He readied another shot with a click. “There you are.”

Seven.

Katie suddenly found her second wind. She flew— soaring off unmoving bodies and gaining momentum as she ran. The muscles in her calves and thighs tightened. The adrenaline rushed all over her body. Her veins were on fire.

She didn’t care.

As Hun prepared a second round she caught him off guard. She lunged, grabbing him by the shoulders as she hung on. Then she drove the switchblade into the depths of his back and started repeatedly shanking him. Hun screamed, blindly reaching behind him, trying to grab Katie to pry her off. She avoided his meaty hands, continuing to stab him in the muscled tendons of his back and aiming for his spine—

“FUCK OFFA ME!” Hun exclaimed. Without hesitation he threw himself back, and in turn, took Katie with him as he slammed her into the wall. She grunted, the pain exploding into her head and back, as Hun did this a second and third time. She lost her grip on the knife as it clattered out of reach into the dark.

Hun shook her off enough to seize her by her ankle, tearing Katie off and holding her aloft like a gutted fish. “YOU!“

Katie growled in return.

She twisted her body like a python, wrapping her arms around his appendage and sinking her claws through the sensitive skin around his forearm and shredded it completely open.

Six.

Hun reared back like a horse, wailing his arm around to toss her off. She didn’t let go. She instead haphazardly clawed her way up his arm, to his chest, to his shoulders as she latched on and embedded her teeth into his collarbone—

The gang leader punched her. He cracked her jaw as he dislodged her off him, taking the opportunity to snap her head back as he grabbed her throat and began to squeeze. Katie gagged, coughing, kicking and hissing against the ironclad grip around her windpipe. Her claws scratched his knuckles and wrist.

“Finally,” Hun panted, shaking the mutated woman like a ragdoll. “YOU’RE the top prize of New York? Another genetic hybrid? You’re a MENACE. I can’t believe you caused all this mayhem for worthless freaks! You really must be that deranged!” He crushed his thick fingers around her neck, making her spasm in agony as the ability to breathe was robbed from aching, broken lungs. “Just wait. I’ll take your pets. I’ll take them and turn them into handbags, sell their shells, turn their blood into addictive drugs… and I’ll make you watch it all. But not the rat. That rodent has something VERY special waiting for him. He’ll be saved for last. I’ll take all the fur from his skin piece by piece, I’ll rip his tail off, I’ll take his eyes… and you’ll see the life drain out of him as he dies at your feet… all the while I’ll keep you as my private little WHORE.”

Five.

The scent of death was so potent it could have strangled an elephant.

One thought integrated into her brain:

KILL.

Four.

Katie snarled. Not in despair…

But bloodlust.

She swung on him; thick black claws caught the bottom of the left eye and tore the fragile flesh. Hun yelped.

It wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t enough until she took his life.

Katie pile-drove both feet right into his abdomen and kicked over and over again, heels digging hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Pummeling her booted feet as physically hard into his pelvis, the force of the strike the final time made the buff gang leader spit blood as something in his pelvic region cracked. As soon as he was doubled over, Katie knocked both feet into his face and sent him sprawling. She wrenched her neck out of his hands and climbed on top of him. When he swatted at her she pushed his arms down.

Three.

Katie straddled the bigger man, hovering over the disgraceful cur— a primal animal ready to devour.

Hun’s eyes squinted through the daze of his attack, grinding his teeth in agony when he stared up at the jaguar woman. Realization dawned upon him. “You wouldn’t DARE.”

Katie slowly raised her arm. Claws extended out of the tips of her fingers.

Hum’s face blanched. “You wouldn’t!”

Two.

Katie’s eyes flickered a deadly shade of crimson. Her face turned feral.

She thought of Danny, the man she loved— his screams of anguish that would forever haunt her.

She thought of Leo, her son— pleading for Danny’s life, the horror that filled his voice.

She thought of Grace, her sister— handed off to Draxum and taken to a lab, being used for some kind of sinister experiment.

Letting him go would spell death for them all.

Letting him walk away after everything he’d done? All the lives he took? All the devastation he’d created?

Never.

One.

In the darkness the jaguar screeched, bringing her claws down like a guillotine.

In the darkness Hun drowned in his own terrified cry as she ripped his jugular open with her hands.

In the darkness, blood was spilled.

True to her word, Hun hadn’t lasted more than ten minutes.

**********************

The chaos lasted an eternity. That’s what Danny believed.

The gunshot was TOO close to his head and had missed by inches— inches. A single shot nearly blew his brains out and he would never have been known until it was too late. His heart had stopped after the attempt on his life, he could barely catch his breath after that. Any closer t’ th’ left, and I’d be…

He’d gone into a shock of sorts, freezing on the spot as he struggled to put the pieces of his composure back together. Air dragged into constricted ribs, quickened and erratic. But he refused to waver. During the horrific ordeal he never let Leo go, having clung to the teen as though he were a lifeline, holding him close to keep him safe. The poor kid was a hysteric mess, burying his face into Danny’s arm and weeping, terror plain to see from a mile away as tears stained his sleeve. Danny sat like steel. Never moved. Never once did he dare to ease his grip on Leo. Nobody was taking this kid, nobody was going to hurt him, nobody would get the chance, nobody—

The brawl came to an abrupt end. Doors flung open as petrified screams fled into the night.

Quiet settled over the warehouse. Dread hit him at once.

Where was Katie? Where were the boys? Had Hun done something, had he hurt her? Where did everyone go? Where were the gang members?

He felt Leo shiver against his side, whining worriedly. Danny’s tail pulled him closer, shielding him. Don’t let him out of your sight.

He couldn’t chance it.

He couldn’t risk being careless—

Physical contact viciously ripped him back into reality.

It became a battle to breathe.

Someone was touching him. Hands were on his shoulders someone was touching him they were going to start with him someone was going to take Leo away—!

NO!

Fight or flight set in. Primal desperation kicked his senses into overdrive. Danny began to buck like a lion, yelling and howling against his gag in outrage, no no no they can’t do this, they can’t, I’m not going down like this I’m not dying here I’m NOT LETTING THIS KID DIE. “MMHF— DNN PHHKN THHK HHMPH! DNN HHFF HHMPH!”

“DANIEL! DANIEL, DANIEL, IT’S ALRIGHT! IT’S ME!”

Clarity.

He froze. Was that…?

Eyes shot open in the dark—

Lights blinded him, white LEDs shooting daggers into sensitive retinas after spending days being shuttered away. Recoiling Danny groaned, shying from the source, the hands returning to touch his face, he fought the urge to scream—

“Daniel.” Gentle, soft as silk, quiet and comforting. “I’m here.”

He forced his blurry eyes open a second time. Blinking away tears that prickled weary orbs, Danny finally found a familiar face.

The most beautiful sight on this planet.

Emerald green eyes. Tan complexion. Tussled black hair. Smooth, elegant face. Blood speckled around her cheeks and neck. Bruising crawled throughout her throat. Her clothes were tattered and bloodied. A battery powered lamp sat at her side. She looked like she’d been run over by a truck.

But Kathrine was gorgeous. She always was.

“Oh God… Danny,” Katie whimpered. Tears stung his eyes as she spoke his name. “What’d he do to you…?”

His shoulders shook. His barriers came tumbling down around him. In this moment Danny broke into tears, cutting like razor blades down an injured face. He kicked himself for this internally. Men were supposed to stand strong in the face of despair. Men were supposed to be the fortitude for others to fall to in dire need. Men, his father taught him, would never shatter under the pressure. They couldn’t show sensitivity, they couldn’t CRY. It was a privilege reserved for women or weaker people with no backbone.

But damn his old man.

The woman he loved made it. Leo was okay.

They were going home.

Katie brought him closer, tilting his head forward to touch her forehead to Danny’s. Her fingers tenderly brushed his shaggy hair out of bloodshot eyes to better get a look at him, the motions familiar, slow, rhythmic, compassionate as she soothed the battered yōkai. As tears trickled down his muzzle and stained his gag he wept joyfully in her hands, yearning for his words, wanting dearly to voice his gratitude. She mumbled to him, “I’m here baby. I’m here. Sorry I took so long.“

Danny shook his head, trying to talk, trying to tell her it was fine, but he settled with a muffled grunt for now. This tender feeling of comfort provided by the woman who loved him was more than enough. He just wished he could kiss her.

At his side Leo squeaked, timid. Danny relinquished his grip on the terrapin, nudging him to look over.

Katie raised her head to find Leo. Her eyes widened painfully, and her lips quivered. “Mijo,” she gasped.

Leo almost instantly tried to hurl himself into her arms, but still being bound he teetered forward clumsily, Katie catching him before he could shatter his beak into solid ground and pulling him into a crushing embrace while the boy sobbed with relief in her shoulder. “Oh mijo…! Bromista! I’m so so so sorry, I’m right here, shhh-shhh-shh Mama’s got you.”

“Mom!” Coming in from behind the other three arrived, winded and sheathing their weapons, the battle over. “All clear. Those bozos ain’t coming back—“ Raph sported a gnarly gash under his jaw, his black clothes ripped and torn apart at the elbows, dark brown eyes turning alert as soon as he saw Leo. “Oh shit… Leo…”

Leo’s eyes poked around Katie’s shoulder, dark red and glassy. The slider’s expression fell even farther into remorse. He strained his hands against his bindings, weeping harder at the sight of the older turtle. Like being torn out of a trance Raph moved; lowering himself to a kneel as he drew the bound terrapin into a hug, forgoing his own injuries in favor of providing him reassurance. “I’m so sorry, bro… I’m so so sorry, I’m such an idiot, I never meant a word o’ what I said. I’m so glad yer okay.”

Nobody missed the warbled shake of Raph’s voice repressing tears.

Mikey wiped blood away from his nose with the back of his arm, cuts sinking deep into his legs and shoulders, shaking slightly from being chucked into a steel beam. His expression sank with empathy, but he immediately dropped to his knees to help his surrogate mother with the slider. “Hey Lee. We got your back.”

“I got the first aid kit,” Casey knelt at Leo’s side with a seriousness Danny had never seen before, rummaging around his duffle bag. His bottom lip was split, his left hand looked swollen, his ear bled from the earlobe, hockey mask pushed up to rest atop his head. “What looks the most bad?”

“There’s a gash on the bridge of his snout. This thing stopped a majority of the bleeding but it looks deep,” Katie gently tilted Leo’s head forward to grab ahold of the knot tying the gag in place. “Honey, hold still. I’ll get you loose. Mike, can you please untie Danny?”

Mikey nodded. He unclipped a shuriken from his belt as he moved behind the yōkai with a friendly grin. “‘Sup, rat dude! Don’t worry, I’ll have you outta this in a minute!”

He sat still for the bigger turtle as he worked on the ropes, sawing away at the restraints diligently. As he waited for his bonds to be cut Danny watched in silence as Katie took care of Leo, Raph using one of his sai to slice through the cords around his wrists like butter. She whispered consoling things to the kid as she fussed with the gag, some words in Spanish, others in English, but her attention never strayed off the slider. A mother in her element.

“Respira, cariño, solo respira profundamente,” Katie soothed, untying the cloth and easing it off his mouth, taking care not to disrupt the gash across his snout in the process. “Just focus on my voice. I’m not going anywhere.”

Leo hacked out a blood soaked wad of fabric, sputtering into a coughing fit that robbed him of the ability to use his words. Katie rubbed his shell in circular motions, easing the turtle forward in case he needed to vomit. Raph slashed the last of his bonds free in one fell flick of the wrist. Leo’s hands slowly moved to the front, both visibly shaking, the traumatic stress still apparent. “I gotcha Bud. You’re good. Ma, ya need th’ water?”

“Yeah. Leo, here, take a drink of this—“

“N-no…” Leo’s voice was a raspy whisper. Shaking his head he pointed a finger over to Danny, who blinked his good eye in befuddlement. “D-Dad… h-he needs it…”

The cords holding Danny prisoner finally snapped, Mikey’s impromptu knife severing the strands. Blood rushed back into numbed over fingers and made his hands prickle from the sensation of circulation returning, rushing back into aching veins that yearned for movement. A relieved huff pushed through the fabric still wrapped in his teeth.

Fingers found purchase on the knot at the back of his head, and two seconds later the gag was finally loosened from his mouth. Swollen clawed fingers reached up to yank the cloth free, spitting the long since blood saturated rag to the side as he nearly choked. He struggled to repress a wheezing fit, fighting to keep his pain to a minimum but his lungs ballooned in his ribcage and begged for air. What I wouldn’t give for a bottle of gin.

“Dad…!” Leo, unable to withhold his worry, attempted to go help him. But the slider was still weak, atrophy turning his arms into sore, shaking twigs that went to reach for the yōkai. He nearly collapsed had it not been for Raph helping him to kneel.

Katie squeezed around the two to fit in the space to reach Danny, her hands cupping his face as blood slithered down his chin. “Daniel. You okay?” She asked.

“‘M… fine.” Danny worked his words out of a parched throat begging for water. “J-Just a he-headache…”

Not falling for his charade Katie held a bottle of water to his lips, encouraging him to drink. “Hey, take it easy. You probably have brain fog.”

“Side note, is anyone else confused?” Mikey piped up, cutting the last of the ropes from the yōkai’s torso. “Leo must have some kinda concussion. He just called Danny ‘Dad.’ I think you got the wrong rat, man. Your Splints is gray.”

“D-Don’t… have one,” Leo cleared his voice to better speak. “I know… what I said.”

“Wait whaaaat?” The ridges of Mikey’s brows rose.

“Dan? Dad?” Casey had to ask next. “Dude, seriously? You sure you’re not concussed?”

“Yep.” Leo grinned. The motion almost looked too forced from the pain. “That’s… my Dad.”

Katie’s emerald orbs glistened— tears hanging at bay, a soft smile growing across her face. Glancing back at Danny she mouthed, “Really?”

Danny took one look at Leo, who grinned weakly at his guardian with happiness. He looked back to Katie, tired hands reaching up to run them through her hair. The feeling of her smooth locks beneath aching, battered palms grounded him. They anchored him.

They reaffirmed the reality of his survival, of all the suffering he’d endured to reach this point.

How he’d go through it all over again to keep them safe.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I am.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ONE MORE CHAPTER AND ITS DONE!!!

Hope you liked this one! 😁😁

@queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @goldenflowerdragon @figuringitoutasigoalong @lameboobah

[sabrondabrainrot]

Fun sketches below!

I've been drawing so much TMNT. I want to share some of the stuff I've been working on. I'm almost done watching 87 and 03 and just wow!!! I love these turtle boys so much. I noticed in 03 now that I've finished fast-forward and I'm starting on back to the sewers that Raphael got so unfairly tall compared to his big bro I just HAD to draw Leo realizing it.

I also am writing a fun idea that involves turtles and tots. There will be much found family goodness to come. You'll see. ;)

[serene-sabo]

Alright, let’s hear it. What’s Raph doing? No one really knows. He just sleeps all day. What’s he do all night?

[fabuloustrash05]

My Favorite Ship in Each Version of TMNT (so far):

TMNT 1987: Raphael x Mona Lisa

TMNT 2003: Leonardo x Usagi

TMNT 2012: Raphael x Mona Lisa

ROTTMNT: Donatello x Kendra

Mutant Mayhem: Leonardo x April

[bulbabutt]

ok i wanna talk about tmnt 2007 and the way i think this is the best version of a leo and raph conflict, and also leo as a character

for context i've been talking about tmnt things kinda chronologically, so i'm gonna mention an unconditional understanding in 03 i bring that up in a previous post about that show and the family dynamics in it here if u want context for what i mean

i think this movie can really be appreciated for the place it has between adaptations, and the way character-wise everyone is more or less the same as they've always been but with a more interpersonal relationship as the focus. the main villain of this movie doesn't really matter, the conflict, the fights, that's not where the strength is (although, it is reflected in the conflict and ill get into that)

so tmnt 07 is one movie that kind of combines the 90s movies, 03, and mirage all in one place, and tonally is is similar to the show that will come after it, 12. if the 90s movies give us conflict between leo and raph, and 03 gives us the unconditional understanding between the two, 07 takes these two aspects and creates a story out of it. (debate in your own mind if this movie is a literal sequel to the 90s ones or not, its not that important)

the set up of this movie is we are in a post killing the shredder world. leo has been told by splinter to go get training elsewhere, there isn't much context for what happened to cause this, but i would bet its a similar cause to 03, where he had ptsd and lashed out at his father to which splinter sends him to his grandfather to get better advice than he thinks he can give him. the difference here is there is no grandfather hes sent to, he's sent on a journey of self discovery around the world to learn about it and himself.

the thing about leo as a character, and this goes for all leos, he's has a very black and white way of thinking. leo thinks he's been sent away because he's failing his family, that he's not a good enough leader. so he stays away for longer because he doesn't feel good enough. he finds a place where he can help and he does that. leo always needs a bad guy to fight, or else he's fighting his own demons. so he stays there for a long time. finding a place he can help quietly, never letting anyone see him, and becoming a legend to the locals because no one knows what's really going down.

april manages to track him down and tell him about whats going on with his brothers, how they're holding up without him and without being a team, and i think thats a good reminder for him that they miss him. he doesn't tell april but he finds a way home only after hearing about this. when he arrives and speaks to splinter, he says "i was so caught up in my own world i forgot about everyone else, i'm sorry i failed" he still doesn't feel like he's done anything of worth.

i'm gonna jump in here and say, you know how we all love rise raph? cuz hes the big brother and some traits that come from that are like being overprotective and taking on everyone else's problems and trying to handle emotions alone? well that's a trait thats usually leo's. but the difference with leo is sometimes that concept doesn't make you as likeable. sometimes it means you come off like a nagging mother hen who thinks they know best but in an arrogant way. sometimes it makes you mirror being a parent when no one asked you to be. leo's less of a passionate character than raph, hes more analytical and full of himself. he takes splinters lessons more seriously, and hes always trying to do whats best for everyone so they don't have to worry. this is something evident with 03 and 12, but its so specifically noticeable here because these traits make up the main conflict. i just want to bring that up so we start seeing leo as no different than some of our other favourite iterations.

splinter responds to his apology by saying "you owe me no apology, but perhaps you should talk to raphael, your absence has been particularly difficult for him, though he'll never admit it" but when leo greets him raph is brushing him off.

on raph's end, this is him being angry that leo left, and angry that hes back and everyone wants to pretend that he wasn't gone at all. as if the time he was gone didn't happen. hes lashing out because he too cant handle talking about these emotions. and hes lashing out by becoming a vigilante in his own right.

i see a lot of people misunderstand what raph is doing here, that "this is what the turtles always do" or "this is the same as what leo was doing how could he be mad" when that is not true. that's what casey does. its true that both leo and raph have been fighting bad guys on their own (as a way of dealing with their issues) but raphael has made himself a costume to disguise himself which means hes prepared to be seen. hes riding a motorcycle around, which is loud. this isn't stealthy, this is aggressive. his vigilante name is in the news. the turtles are ninjas, they silently help where they can and fade into the night and, very specifically, they work as a team. these turtles live in a dangerous world, what if something happened to him while no one else was around? they would never know because he never told anyone.

so raph is lashing out, and leo doesn't have a good way of dealing with it. he tries to slide back into being leader, doing what splinter says but he forgets how his brothers are, and with raph egging them on they get into fights they shouldn't. which leo specifically gets in trouble for, as the oldest brother, and as their leader. leo tries to be this better leader hes supposed to have learned to be, but it doesn't work and raph ends up back out there in his vigilante get up. leo tracks down said vigilante, and in his peak "leo knows best" moment, lectures him, not knowing its his brother. there's a scuffle, and the mask comes off. let me point out that casey knew this vigilante was raph but his own brother didn't, because leo has been gone that long.

so lets get into what this fight is really about. on the surface, its "wow you've been going out at night alone putting yourself in dangerous situations with no backup" and "so what you're just mad that i can do it without you" which leo would be right about. and this is the analytical leo, he really thinks that's all that's going on here. what hes missing is that raphael has missed him as a brother, and hes hurt that leonardo left and just came back no big deal. that he wants everything to be normal. raphael is always a character with big emotions and the only outlet he knows to express them is violence.

leo, who as we've established, went away to learn to be better for his family is angry that raph doesn't see that. he's mad raph doesn't appreciate the effort he went to, and he thinks he's just angry because he's not in charge. each brother sees the other as being arrogant.

this leads them to the big fight. no one can disagree that this is the best part of the movie (seriously watch the movie for this scene if you haven't seen it before) , but the real best part of it is that raphael wins. raph proves hes just as capable of a fighter as his brother, if not more-so. he uses those sais as they're supposed to be used, catching leo's swords and in a fit of rage he fucking breaks them, leaving leo defenceless and completely vulnerable to attack. you'd think he'd be smug that leo lost but he pauses, going through a lot of emotions in a moment, questioning what he's doing, why hes doing it. and leo finally looks his brother in the eye and sees raph going through something he didn't before, realizing raph hasn't been angry that he's back, but that he's angry that he ever left. they don't have a conversation, because raph cant handle all these emotions and he runs away, crying as he does. leo just watches him, taking it all in and realizing the error of his ways.

hearing leo scream turns raph around, but he's too late to help him, and this is where raph regrets his own actions because right then, leo is also proven right in his argument. because he gets kidnapped. if leo hadn't chased raph down, there is a very good chance that would have been raph being kidnapped. with no backup, with no one knowing what happened to him. that's why its important that the turtles are a team.

raph goes home full of guilt, and there's a good moment of showing how he cannot open up emotionally here, because he grunts, punches the wall, knocks over some weights and forces splinter to ask him what happened, because that's how raphael is. he laments to his father that he finally understands why leo is the better son, proving that to raph none of this was about their team, but about their family. conflating the two ideas in his head. splinter gives him a talk that mirrors what he said to leo when he returned earlier in the movie, encouraging him that he is a good son and brother. this shows that these brothers have very similar insecurities about their value to their family.

the rest of the movie plays out as you expect, they go save leo, they stop the bad guy, they reconcile and behave as the team they're supposed to be. but i just want to point out that the villains plot is mirrored in leo and raph's conflict. the 'villain' here is a brother who has been cursed to be immortal without his own siblings. for 3000 years he lived to regret his actions and decided to undo his curse, but he used the cursed stone versions of his siblings to do so. no communication, just thinking he knew better (which maybe he did) and lying about it. that caused them to lie to him right back, and try to overthrow him and destroy the world. this is just one family whose inner turmoil could have destroyed the world. you might say, oh that's not a very interesting turtles villain, but its not supposed to be. its not the focus.

this movie is all about the complicated relationship between a family, and i see so many people talk about it by trying to ask who's right and who's wrong. that's not how it works. life is more complicated than that, people are more complicated than that. its boring to look at this movie and just say "leo is wrong and raph is right" because that's not even how the characters see it. this movie is about leo and raph being mirrors of each other in their arrogance, in their insecurities, and in their stubborn pig-headed refusal to let the other know how they feel. splinter says as much at the start of the movie. this whole movie shows that without each other, they need to be fighting something so they don't get swept up by their own emotions, which they are both bad at processing. they are SUCH brothers. they are so similar emotionally, yet they have such a hard time understanding each other.

personally 07 leo is my favourite leo for his complexity, his flaws his strength, his growth. its sad we never got those sequel movies to get into the other brothers heads as much as we got into leo and raphs heads.

also nolan north and james arnold taylor gave the best vocal performances in this movie and they deserve all the credit for it.

[glowbug252]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the One Thing you Can’t Replace Animatic

LAST ONE 🎉🎉 (let’s see how tumblr handles posting a five minute video) 😭👍