Disclaimer: Not mine.

~TMNT~

Isabelle Duncan laughed and skidded into the alleyway, throwing her back into the wall, giggling helplessly. John Harper rounded the corner not too long after her, smiling mischievously.

"I have you now," he claimed, grinning, lunging at her. She screamed in delight and squirmed as he took hold of her wrists. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs tight around his waist. He wasted no time in gently kissing her exposed neck. "Mmmm," he murmured. She groaned with him, turning her head to expose more of her neck. He happily nipped at it, feeling her freeze. "Mmm, baby, what is it?"

Confused by her sudden turn of attitude, he looked up at her face. Her eyes were wide and frightened and confused. Just as John turned his head to see what had her so oddly bemused, she finally found her voice. Her shrill scream ripped through the night as John nearly dropped her in shock, the people in the apartments above them fumbling to turn on lights and yell at them to shut up because they were trying to sleep.

~TMNT~

Leo groans. For an instant, he starts to wonder why it's always him, but he stops because he knows he wouldn't want it to be anyone else. He wouldn't want anyone else to attract the trouble he seems to.

Clarity is slowly coming back to him, but his head is still fuzzy. He moves his hands – no, he tries to move his hands, wants to rub the confusion a way, but his hands won't budge from his side. He tries again, pulling up more fiercely. That's when Leo realizes his hands are tightly bound. Desperately, he forces his aching body to write around, trying to find an escape.

There is none. He can feel no weakness in the restraints either, only weakness in himself. Willing himself to wake up faster, to shake off the effects of whatever drug is in his system, he point-blank panics. He knows that the Foot have finally gotten him, Karai has finally gotten the better of him, and he knows he's doomed.

When he does open his eyes, he finds out it's much, much worse.

~TMNT~

Breathe in, breathe out, stretch out your steps, leap, breathe in, land and crouch, breathe out and rise up. Rinse and repeat.

It had started as just a normal training run – didn't it always? Then he'd run into the Foot. Well, "run into" was misleading. More like he sensed them popping up to follow him. Leo had let them for a while, before he was sure he had tired them out a little and that they were far enough away from Foot Headquarters that back-up wouldn't arrive instantaneously. Then he'd turned and threw a shurkin, hitting a Foot Ninja dead on, pulling out his trusty katana to take on the first of the enemy to come at him.

He'd faced better odds, but he'd also faced worse. Although thirty ninja seemed like a lot – and it was – he'd taken on that many Foot before, both alone and with his brothers as they took on the same amount themselves. The only problem with Foot was that they were much too similar to ants. Get rid of one and another one seemed to pop into place. Soon the thirty were dispatched, but he was already working on another thirty and sporting the injuries to show for it.

Parry, thrust, swing, block, swing, block, thrust, and feint. Another ninja down. Leo quickly calculated his odds. The Foot would definitely get the better of him if they kept popping up at this rate. He hadn't even had the chance to hit the alarm on his shell cell, yet. He was tiring and wounded. He needed an escape plan.

All his brothers had told him on separate occasions that he seemed to have a knack for those and he thanked his luck for that, or he wasn't sure how he'd escape. As it was, he went with the element of surprise. Going on the offense for the first time that night he gave a Raph-like bellow and charged forward, probably giving the Foot Ninja still conscious a heart attack. Leo noted with a smirk that one Foot actually fainted. Charging through the hoard suddenly, they actually gave him space to get through.

And then he was running again, just concentrating on breathing, pumping his legs, and getting as far away from the Foot as quickly as possible. Sheathing one katana, he dropped his hand down and finally hit the alarm button on his shell cell. His brothers may think he was a martyr but he wasn't stupid and he didn't actually have a death wish. He'd take getting picked up by the battle shell and endure the teasing afterwards over being killed by Foot ninja any day. Man, was he tired.

Actually, he was unnaturally tired. Leo quickly re-calculated things. He'd only been on his run for half the time as usual before the battle had begun and the battle hadn't actually been that long. Sure, he should be tired, but not this tired. Re-playing things in his head, he suddenly remembered the few shurkin's that he had dodged. With a sinking feeling, Leo looked down. Sure enough, a shurkin was embedded in his thigh. Angrily yanking it out, Leo held it up to his nose and sniffed. Drugged. He'd stupidly allowed himself to be drugged. He tucked the shurkin in his belt pouch for later. If worse came to worse, Donnie would want to have a look at it later.

Risking a look backwards Leo saw that he had lost most of the Foot, but there were still a few trailing him. And where a few were there would soon be more. Hoping that his brothers were on their way, tracking him via shell cell, he pulled out a few more shurkin, throwing them backwards, noting with satisfaction that he heard a few Foot bodies thud against the rooftops.

Taking chances while he still could, Leo turned on the burners and made a few quick turns, hoping to lose the remaining Foot long enough for his brothers to show up, at least.

Time for Leo didn't last long. His breath came more ragged and more harsh than it had before. Slowing down, but knowing he shouldn't, Leo tried to gather himself. So tired. So very tired. He fumbled in flipping his shell cell open, then squinted at the screen. Damn. He'd hit the wrong button. Leo almost wanted to cry. Looking closely, he slammed his finger onto the right button. Only then did he notice he'd come to a complete stop at the edge of the building. He glanced around, hoping he could still trust his instincts. He didn't sense any Foot around.

But damn, he was tired. Leo swayed on the rooftop, only vaguely realizing that he should probably take a step back so he didn't fall over the edge. It felt like his breath was getting caught in his chest. He was tired and he couldn't breath. Leo really hated the Foot. Leo loathed Karai. Unhonorable ninja wannabe. He sucked in a ragged breath and let his eyes slide close. No more thoughts raced through his head as he pitched forward and fell to the ground below, making a sickening crack when he landed.

~TMNT~

"I swear, I've never seen that thing before! I've never seen anything like it before. I just…looked over and it was there," Isabelle blurted out. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

The officer on the other side of the table looked at her patiently. Maybe he was in as much shock as she was. "I understand. Jus' calm down an' breath, please, ma'am. How did you run into the creature? How did you find him?"

"Me and John were just taking a midnight stroll. It was supposed to be romantic!" she squeaked out, desperately trying to ignore the tears running down her cheeks. "We stopped for a kiss and I looked over and it was there, just lying there, like it was dead, all broken and lying in a puddle of blood and…" Isabelle let out a pathetic sob, shuddering at the image that once again flashed across her mind.

The police officer looked vaguely uncomfortable with the crying woman. "It's alright ma'am. You're not in any trouble. We're just trying to understand things." His words did nothing to calm her. He sighed heavily. "Lemme go get you some water," he said, slowing pushing himself up with the help of the table.

Isabelle could only sob. She was sure she'd have nightmares about the broken, bloody, green, inhuman thing her and John had stumbled across in that alley. Why did it always have to be her that weird stuff happened too?

~TMNT~

White. White was all he saw upon opening his eyes. It burned – he'd been in darkness far too long – but Leo squinted and struggled through it. Definitely some kind of lab. It smelled sterile. Tasted sterile too. He could sense no Foot and this set-up didn't have any of the Foot signature on it. Neither did it seem like Bishop.

Leo sighed. 'Great. Another enemy.' The pain in his eyes started to lessen and Leo opened his eyes wider, quickly noting the layout of the room, filing away his observations for later. He didn't see a good way out. Not that it mattered, since he was firmly bolted down to the table he was lying up against. He also had no idea how injured he was or how well his injuries had been taken care of.

There were a lot of things in the room Leo didn't like the look of. Scalpels. Knives. Vials. Lots of other things he didn't recognize. He almost wished that Don were with him because he was sure Don would know what everything was and what the normal use for it was, but he was more glad that he wasn't. Leo did his best to ignore the thought that his brother – his brothers – could in fact be here, but in a different room than his.

Leo sighed and relaxed into the bonds. For now, it seemed like there was nothing to do but wait. He supposed he was lucky he apparently was full of wells of patience and the ability to wait, as Raph often told him during their fights about Raph not immediately jumping into any and all situations they got into.

~TMNT~

When they finally got there, the place was crawling with news people and police. "Shit." Raph said it but Don whole heartedly agreed. Although Leo hardly ever used the emergency button – even when Don was of the opinion that he should use it in lots of circumstances that he didn't – he was the one to use it most frequently. Trouble was attracted to his older brother like a negative was attracted to a positive. "Shit," Raph whispered again, as Don slowly backed the battle shell out of the spot he had parked in, and back towards the garage. There was no way they'd get through that throng of people to find out what was going on, and April and Casey were away on a short vacation.

~TMNT~

"And perhaps our most interesting story tonight is brought to us by Tom Wincal. Tom, we go to you, can you tell us anything that's been happening there?"

"Yes Trudy. Early this morning – and I mean early – a couple stumbled up on a body. Unfortunately, not something too uncommon here in New York. Or it wouldn't be if it weren't for the fact that the body isn't human and isn't animal, either.

"All I can get from police is that they're questioning the couple now, trying to figure out if they have any idea what the creature is. I can see a lot of blood back there, though, Trudy. So whatever it is probably isn't doing too good."

"And they have no idea what this creature might be?"

"No, Trudy, they don't. All we have are reports of something green with a bald head."

"And what are police planning to do about this, Tom?"

"Well, they have the creature taken to a secure facility, where they are going to run tests and see if they can figure out what it is."

"Whatever it is, do you think there could be more?"

"Well, it's always possible Trudy. We just have to hope that we can get answers to those questions with the research that's being done."

"Thanks Tom. Just one last question – is the public in any danger from this?"

"No, Trudy, I don't believe they are at this time. Police have assured us that the creature is secure and sedate somewhere and they expect no danger from it. Although it is definitely weird, the public can rest easy knowing that these fine officers are doing all they can to keep them protected and safe."

~TMNT~

"Shit!" Raph threw his sai into the wall next to the television, clenching and unclenching his fists, glaring daggers at the face of the news reporters on the screen. "Shit!" He threw the other one and then started pacing. Even Mikey could tell that he desperately wanted to go out and bust some heads, but knew that it definitely wasn't the smartest idea right now.

"Raphael!" Splinter admonished. "The situation is grave indeed, but it seems like your brother is still alive for now, and we must cling to this hope. There is no need for such language."

"Sorry Sensei," Raph grunted, retrieving his sai, hands gripping it so tightly they actually turned white.

"Secure facility…" Don mused.

"Can you find it, my son?"

Donatello sighed. "I hope," he murmured, and then disappeared into his lab to do what he could.

Mikey was left to gape at the screen in horror. "I can't believe they got him. A ton of blood, they said. Do you really think he's still alive, Sensei?"

Splinter put a furry paw on his youngest son's shoulder. "My connection to him is weak, but it is still there. Your brother has not left us." Mikey nodded dumbly, as the sounds of Raph hitting the punching bag in the dojo started to echo throughout the lair. "You should get some sleep, my son. We will do what we can when we can, and until them I'm sure a warm breakfast in the morning will help us face the day tomorrow." Mikey nodded dumbly again, as Master Splinter slowly trailed off to his room, already seeming to have aged fifty years in ten minutes.

Mikey knew he should get up and get sleep while he could – not like there was anything he could really help with right now anyway – but he couldn't take his eyes off the screen, the news man's words ringing through his head. "I can see a lot of blood back there, though, Trudy. So whatever it is probably isn't doing too good."

~TMNT~

I was reading some other fanfiction when this muse hit me. I was thinking about what would really happen if another human stumbled upon the guys, as most of what I read is the guys getting away with it and it all ending well.

I'm sure the tense and style is a little weird, so please let me know if it was confusing. Concrit is always welcome!