Unimaginable Loss

Unimaginable Loss
Summary: One patrol changes the turtles’ lives forever in a way they never imagined
Warning: Character death


The night was cool and crisp with just a hint of a breeze drifting across his skin. Patrol had started over an hour ago and all four of them were running the rooftops together. The day had been spent in each other's company and had gone very well so far. The patrol that he had suggested had continued with that same spirit of comradery that had existed throughout the day.

Unlike most nights, tonight seemed quiet. They hadn't run into any bad guys committing crimes and for this turtle it was a bittersweet feeling. While he did enjoy putting criminals in their place, sometimes it was nice to just hang out with his brothers.

Unfortunately that peace was not to last. It was just as he was thinking of suggesting that they head back to the lair to celebrate the end of a wonderful day with a movie marathon, trouble found them. Out of nowhere Foot ninja seemed to melt out of the shadows to surround them, stopping him in his tracks.

There was no hesitation. Without thinking he spun so that he had his back to his brothers and drew out his weapon. If these thugs wanted to mess with him and his brothers they were about to find out that they had just messed with the wrong ninjas.

With some unspoken signal, the battle began. The Foot ninjas rushed forward with no warning and the turtles found themselves fighting for their lives. Try as they might, the brothers just couldn’t stick together as close as they would have liked and soon he found himself fighting completely on his own.

Being on his own didn't bother him too much. He had trained all his life in the art of ninjitsu and he was a master of his chosen weapon. He knew that he could hold his own as long as he needed to. His biggest concern was paying attention to his brothers and how they were doing.

When a katana came flying through the air close enough to clip the end of his bandana tails he decided that it was the time to pay more attention to himself. With a growl he attacked the ninja that had just tried to decapitate him. He caught his opponent’s sword with his own weapon and disarmed the Foot ninja.

Before he could finish off the ninja in front of him to make sure he wouldn't be a threat for the rest of the fight he was attacked from behind. It took a quick spin and a mule kick but he hit the Foot ninja right under the jaw sending them into unconsciousness. As he stood straight to regain his balance once again he turned so that his back was to the roof’s edge so no one could come up behind him again.

His first opponent had regained their katanas and was heading back in his direction. In addition to this threat, two more Foot ninjas were coming at his from both sides. This meant that he was boxed in with very little room to maneuver. Instead of panicking, he waited until the very last moment and dropped into a split letting the two Foot ninjas on his sides crash into each other and knock each other off the rooftop.

Still on the ground in a split he spun on his knee with one leg stuck out and knock the feet out from under the first Foot ninja sending them crashing to the ground. Not wasting the slim advantage that he had gained, the turtle used the blunt end of his weapon and slammed it into the side of the Foot's head knocking him down and rendering him unconscious.

Using that quiet moment, he got off of his knees and back onto his feet and looked around the roof to check on his brothers. Two of them were fighting close together and watching each other's backs. His third brother was separate from the group and facing off against two of his own opponents. Just as his brother knocked them down another appeared seemingly out of nowhere and slashed him deeply across the plastron with a naginata.

Screaming sounded in his ears and it took him a moment to realize that it was him that was making the high keening sound. His feet found wings as he all but flew across the roof to his brother's side where he was already laying in a pool of his own blood. He paused long enough to snap the neck of the Foot ninja that had dared to harm his brother before drooping to his knees and using his hands to try and stop the flow of blood from the wound.

His cry must have alerted his remaining two brothers to the predicament because the sounds of fighting soon ceased and they had joined him at their downed brother's side. He wasn't sure who it was but his hands were pulled away from the wound so they could be replaced by four bandanas. It barely slowed the ooze of red from his injured brother.

"Don't do this," he begged his brother. "Hold on. You've got to hold on. You can't leave us like this."

The sight of his brother starting to cough up blood as he tried to respond broke his heart. It was at this point that it became apparent that his brother wasn't going to make it. There was just too much blood on the roof and now his brother was coughing up blood. There was no way that they could carry him back to the lair in time to save his life. Right now all they could down was hold him and be there for him in these last few moments, letting him know that he wasn't alone.

"Love you guys," his fallen brother rasped out between coughs.

"Love you too bro," he said trying to hold back sobs.

His two other brothers repeated his sentiment as they all drew closer to their dying brother. The turtle laying on the roof may have been the one with the physical wound but his brothers still felt the pain none the less. At this point there was nothing else that they could so they just huddled closer to their brother.

His breathing became more labored and the coughs shook his body as he tried to take in precious air. The rise and fall of his chest became slower and slower until it failed to rise at all. It took a moment for it to sink in for the remaining three turtles that their brother was gone.

Together the three remaining turtles huddled closer, holding onto their fallen brother with everything that they had left. Four had become three and they could already feel a hole forming in their hearts that used to belong to him. Nothing would ever be the same again. They had no idea how they would ever be able to recover from this unimaginable loss.