Sleeping Death

Ch. 1-Entered into Rest

Raphael emerged from the sewers, careful to ensure that no one else was around. He was alone. Good.

It had been a long and strenuous week at the lair. The amount of Foot activity in the city had increased ten fold and the turtles were exhausted. But even a week of destroying Foot bots wasn't enough to satisfy Raphael. He itched for the freedom of topside. He needed this. He needed release.

That's why he'd arranged this meeting.

He'd called Casey first, but the human had a championship hockey game tonight. So, after much deliberation, Raphael had finally pushed all inhibitions aside and called Slash, who'd agreed to meet him for some late night bad-guy-bashing.

Red bandana tails twirled in the breeze as Raph emerged on the rooftops. His eyes were white with focus as he stealthily navigated across the New York skyline.

Jumping easily from one roof to the next, the hotheaded turtle proceeded closer to his destination. Every so often he would pause to unsheathe his sais and whirl around, just to make certain no one was following him. Then, satisfied that no one was there, he would sheath his weapons and move on.

He perched on the corner of a large warehouse and glanced down at the next roof over. A smirk spread across his shadowy features. Already here, huh?

Raph jumped and landed behind the larger turtle on the roof below. "You're early."

Slash turned around to face him with a frown. "So why'd you call me here?" Slash asked, quickly changing the subject.

Raph frowned a little and his smirk faded. "Well, we're friends, Slash. Do I need a reason to call one of my friends?"

The larger turtle shrugged his shoulders. "No, but you don't usually call me." After a moment of awkward silence, Slash once again changed the subject. "It is good to see you, brother."

Raph grinned and nodded, clapping a hand on Slash's huge shoulder. Slowly the turtle let slip the reason behind his arranging this meeting.

Slash frowned. "But if the amount of Foot activity has increased you shouldn't be out here alone. You could get hurt."

Raph rolled his eyes. "But I'm not alone." He pointed out gesturing at Slash.

Slash's eyes narrowed, but he had to admit Raphael had a point.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring your team with you." Raph remarked, eager to skirt around the whole 'shouldn't-be-topside' issue.

The big spiky turtle eyed the hothead curiously, but nevertheless, he latched onto the change of topic. "I figured something was wrong and I assumed you'd want to talk to me alone."

Raph waved Slash's inquisitive stare away. "Naw, there's nothing wrong, I just thought we could bust some heads together that's all."

Mutagen colored eyes narrowed and Slash growled. "I can tell when you're lying, Raphael."

The red masked turtle refused to meet Slash's gaze. His shoulders drooped a little and Slash frowned. That look on Raph's face never boded well.

So…something is wrong. Slash thought to himself as his eyes ran up and down Raph's frame, searching for some indication of what had occurred.

Finally after a long moment of silence Raphael shook it off. "It's nothing important. Just some things my brothers said, that's all. I'm not going to let it get to me. C'mon, let's go pound something!" The hothead stated excitedly, rushing past Slash and jumping onto a nearby rooftop, knowing that the larger turtle would follow.

Slash watched Raphael go before frowning and jumping after him.

About an hour passed, Slash and Raphael just enjoying each other's company. By this point they'd pretty much given up searching for punks to beat up and were instead traveling rapidly across the rooftops to see which of them was faster. They both landed on the final rooftop at the exact same time, and after a bit of bickering, decided to call it even. The sound of Raphael's laughter made Slash smile.

Sure, the giant turtle mutant had his own team to lead and his own life to lead, but he did miss all those moments he'd shared with Raphael. He knew the hotheaded turtle better than anyone else, and it felt strange not having Raphael around all the time.

It seemed almost as though Raphael could read Slash's thoughts when he said, "We should do this more often."

Slash glanced over at the red masked turtle, who was staring into the horizon, and he smiled softly. Slowly, he put a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Yes. Yes we should."

Raph smiled and nodded. Slash pulled his hand away.

They both sat on the edge of the building with their feet dangling. After a long moment of companionable silence Raph murmured, "It hasn't been the same."

Slash raised an eye-ridge at his small friend.

"Ever since you were…everything's changed."

The bigger turtle glanced at Raphael contemplatively before forming a reply. "I'm still here. If you ever need to talk."

Raph nodded in acceptance. They sat in silence once again.

But the soft moment of peace was shattered almost instantly. Raph's senses flared and his head snapped up. The emerald green turtle jumped up into a backflip just in time to avoid a ken that would have sliced right into his carapace. When he landed on the rooftop Raphael whirled around to find a small army of Footbots on the roof behind them.

Slash saw Raph straighten and as soon as the red masked turtle jumped, he knew something was wrong. His mutagen-colored eyes saw the ken go flying past and he shuddered. Thank goodness Raphael had reacted in time.

The giant turtle jumped to his feet and turned to glare at the Foot soldiers that had manifested behind them. He held his mace at the ready and glanced at Raphael out of the corner of his eye. Raph nodded, and their eyes turned white with determination.

Before they could leap into the battle however, a loud command made them turn to the rooftop on their other side. Shredder stood on top of the stairwell, his henchmen spread out on the roof in front of him.

Shredder held out his gauntlet and Fishface, Rahzar, and Tigerclaw jumped down and began attacking Raphael.

Slash growled and immediately turned to help his friend, but he suddenly found himself being swarmed by Footbots. The huge, spikey-shelled turtle fought them off viciously, constantly turning to glance back at Raphael.

The red masked turtle was surrounded. It took all of his focus to keep up the fight. But with one on all sides, he was at the disadvantage. A hard kick in the plastron from Rahzar, a shell-loosening punch from Tigerclaw, and a brutalk kick to the head from Fishface finally added up, and Raph suddenly found himself completely overwhelmed.

"Raphael!" A distant voice yelled.

Raph fell to the ground. But even then, he refused to give up. He pushed himself up onto his arms, but his head spun, and he fell back to the ground with a soft thud.

"Raphael!" The voice repeated, this time sounding even more concerned.

"S—Slash…" Raph muttered weakly. Something approached him and he looked up. Shredder. Even in his weakened state, Raphael's lip curled back into a dark growl.

The metal-clad human plucked the two hundred pound turtle off the ground easily with one hand. A foreboding chuckle made Raphael shudder, even as he glared at the human. Shredder raised his hand, holding a cylindrical object. As Raph's vision came into focus he realized it was a syringe.

"What, this?" Saki asked, following the turtle's gaze. "It is your master's death sentence." Shredder held the turtle up and stared deep into Raphael's eyes. "Once Hamato Yoshi discovers that one of his sons has died at my hand he will come for revenge. And when he does…I will destroy him."

"You—think a hair-brained plan like that is going to work?" Raph asked, knowing that it would it only incite Shredder further, and possibly buy Slash some time to save him.

Shredder smirked. He stabbed the needle deep into Raphael's shoulder and injected it. Raph made no sound. Shredder began his monologue as the turtle's senses began to grow fuzzy.

"I have seen that the rat cares for you deeply. This," Shredder said, waving the syringe in Raph's face before letting the turtle fall roughly to the ground, "is a derived form of the venom taken from Karai. You'll be dead within the hour. Not even your friend can save you now. So long turtle."

Shredder vanished in a puff of smoke, his henchmen along with him. Raph tried to push himself up, but his mind was foggy, his senses were dulled and he was rapidly growing cold. He could barely move. Slash…

Slash watched in fear as Raph went down after receiving hard kick in the head. But the next thing he knew Footbots were jumping onto his carapace, trying to take him down. He fought them off with a growl and tore them to shreds for good measure. In the midst of the fight he was able to glance over in time to see Shredder stab Raphael with some kind of syringe. He quickly finished off the rest of the Footbots and rushed over in time to hear Shredder say that Raphael would be dead within the hour.

No! With a ferocious battle cry Slash charged at Shredder, but just as he did so, the leader of the Foot Clan and his top lieutenants vanished in puff of smoke. After making sure they were gone, Slash rushed to the injured turtle's side. He didn't like what he saw.

Raphael had turned a different shade of green. He was shaking and shivering, his skin was cool and clammy, and his eyes were clouded.

Slash reached out and softly lifted the muscular turtle into his arms easily. "Raphael?"

Raph glanced dazedly in the direction of Slash's voice. "Slash? What…?" His reached out and grabbed Slash's arm tightly. "My brothers…tell them…tell them I love them." He gasped out, glancing absently up into the soft eyes of his best friend.

Mutagen green eyes narrowed and the larger turtle's grip on Raphael tightened instinctively. "You can tell them yourself. I'm going to get you out of here."

Raph's grip tightened for a moment before weakening. "Please…Spike…tell them."

Slash's gaze softened and he nodded. "I will. But I'll get you back to them in time. I promise."

The red masked turtle nodded weakly and reached out. Slash immediately offered his hand. Raphael gripped it like a lifeline. "S-s-spike…Leo and Master Splinter can cure…"

With renewed determination and strength Slash nodded. He would get Raphael to safety. He just had to.

The huge turtle jumped so quickly across the city that he was little more than a giant green blur. His eyes were narrowed and his breathing was labored. He was dangerous. If anyone so much as reached out to touch Raphael he would have torn their head off. Slash would not allow the turtle to be harmed any further.

Just as he was about to jump down into the alley, he jerked to a halt. There were Foot Soldiers guarding the manhole cover. The larger turtle turned on his heels and headed for an alternate root, only to find that manhole cover blocked as well. No! I don't have time to fight them all off! And I can't allow them to follow me back to the turtle's lair. Slash examined Raph's belt only to find that his t-phone was no longer working. No backup! Urgh! I have to get down there! I'm not about to let Raphael die! Slash glanced down at the turtle in his arms. Raphael looked even worse. He was about three shades lighter than his usual complexion of a healthy dark emerald green, his body was shaking as though from cold, and his eyes were closed. He was deathly still. Hang in there brother.

Raph stirred a little and whimpered. I need to get him back now! Slash thought, letting out a frustrated growl. They'd already lost a quarter of an hour running across the city. Slash needed to get Raphael home and soon.

Master Splinter was deep in meditation when all of a sudden an image of Shredder flashed in his mind's eye and all he could see was red. The mutant rat's eyes snapped open and he had a profound sinking feeling in his gut. He burst out into the lair and his sons looked up at him in surprise. He was not usually so loud. They must have caught the brief flash of panic in their father's eyes because within seconds they were on their feet. One…two…three…Splinter whirled around, searching, almost desperately for his fourth child, who was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Raphael?" Splinter asked haltingly, part of him not wanting to hear the answer. He had a pretty good guess. His senses had never failed him before. The other turtles exchanged glances and shifted nervously. "Where is your brother?" The rat repeated, this time with more insistency.

Leonardo spoke first. "We—um…he was being a jerk, Sensei. He's been absolutely impossible all week. He went up to get some air. I think he made plans to meet Casey or something." The eldest stated with a shrug. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

Splinter sighed and covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to contain his worry. "I have had a vision my sons."

All three of them looked up at their father curiously.

"I sensed that Shredder was near. You three are here and you are safe, but Raphael is in danger."

The three siblings exchanged worried glances, no doubt concerned for the welfare of their brother.

Slash's POV

Raphael's breathing has slowed. His pulse is growing weaker and weaker by the minute. I finally managed to come up with a plan to get down into the sewers and reach the lair in time. Unfortunately for Raphael, my plan will take at least another fifteen minutes. I just hope he's right and that his father and brother can cure this.

If they can't…

No. I'm not even going to think about that. I can't. I'm not going to give up on Raphael! He never gave up on me…

Memories began to play in my mind as I ran across the rooftops. Memories of our early years after Raph rescued me from the harsh conditions of the sewers. I remembered all the times we spent together, all the secrets we shared. Raph can't die. He's my best friend. If he died…I do not think I would be able to live with myself. Suddenly it began to rain and I stared up at the sky. Please, please no…not today.

Finally I reached my destination: an old warehouse that the Mutanimals and I have been using as a lair. I burst in with little preamble and the mutants inside stared at me. Their shocked faces slowly turned to the limp form in my arms and all three of them paled.

"Raphael." Leatherhead murmured coming forward and reaching out towards the turtle.

I stepped out of his reach and growled. "I need to get him home ASAP. Shredder gave him some kind of poison, if I don't get him to Leo or Master Splinter in the next half hour he'll die."

"What makes you think they'll be able to do anything?" Rockwell asked.

"Raphael said they could cure it." I replied with utmost conviction. "I need to get down into the sewers, but the Foot are blocking the manhole covers. What I need you guys to do is create a diversion so that I can slip past their defenses."

Leatherhead nodded. "Just tell us where, my friend."

I gave my second in command a grateful glance and he offered a wane smile.

My teammates were true to their word. They were able to create enough of a diversion to allow me to slip into the sewers unnoticed. Meanwhile, Raphael was getting worse.

By this point about forty minutes had passed. It would take me still another five to get back to the lair. Raphael was completely unresponsive. He'd stopped shaking and was making no sound or movement whatsoever. He looked dead. Panicked, I reached down with one finger and felt for a pulse, a sign, anything that he had not already…there! Just beneath my finger, the soft steady beat of a pulse. Barely there, but at least he was still with me.

I made it to the lair in three minutes instead of five and I burst in with no warning whatsoever. Donatello and Michelangelo were seated on the couch in the main room and they jumped up as soon as I came in. "LEONARDO! MASTER SPLINTER!"

The old rat and the eldest of the turtles came running out of the dojo. I turned my back on the two younger turtles and revealed Raphael's form cradled in my arms. Leo and Splinter both gasped with horror. I lay Raphael down gently and all of the Hamato family rushed forward. "Please. You have to save him. He's been poisoned. Shredder said it was a more potent form of Karai's venom. Within an hour of administering the subject dies. It's been almost fifty minutes, please! You have to save him!"

Leonardo immediately began to chant and his hands began to glow. I watched in fascination as he went on, but as soon as he pressed his hands to Raphael's plastron they stopped glowing. His eye-ridges furrowed. He tried again, only to have the same result. The blue masked turtle turned to his father with tears in his eyes. "Sensei, it isn't working!"

The old rat gently pushed his son aside. "I will try my son. It could be that you simply are not yet spiritually strong enough." Master Splinter began the chant, yet as soon as he pressed his hands to his son's frail body, they stopped glowing. After a few more tries Master Splinter pulled away, tears running down his cheeks. He pressed his eyes closed tightly as he tried to hide his devastation from his sons.

"…Father?" Leo asked slowly, unsure of what to do next. He approached his father and put a gentle hand on the old rat's shoulder. "We need to try it together, Sensei."

Master Splinter straightened and nodded. He would not lose hope. Not while there was still a chance. Together he and Leonardo began to chant, their voices echoing off the concrete walls. They joined hands and their hands began to glow twice as brightly. When they pressed them to Raphael's plastron the glow lingered, but as they attempted to conduct the healing energy into his body, something resisted and they found themselves unable to do anything other than heal some of his surface injuries.

The old rat took a step back looking ten years older than he had ten minutes ago. "There is nothing we can do, my sons. It would appear that your brother's time has come."

The eyes of all three turtle siblings widened and filled with tears.

"Sensei, you can't mean…" Leo began, his voice disbelieving.

Splinter refused to meet his sons' questioning stares and he closed his eyes, trying to hold back his tears. "I suggest you say your goodbyes now, my children. Your brother is dying."

Those words struck something in the heart of the turtles. There was a moment of silence. We all had tears in our eyes.

I could only stare. First at Master Splinter and then down at Raphael. No…he can't…he's only seventeen! He's barely started his life! It isn't fair! The next thing I knew I could feel tears running down my face. I reached down and stroked his cold shoulder gently. Raphael…no…

So how was it? Review Please! Should I continue? Yes? No? What do you guys think?