Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Sword and The Dagger
By Jeremy McLaughlin

Chapter One:

	It had only been a few hours since the small group made it to the steps of the ancient Japanese temple. The trek through the overgrown forest surrounding the temple had been dense and treacherous. Casey Jones had already gotten lost once, which ate up a great deal of precious time. The sun was already kissing the the horizon. Splinter knew that they were running out of time.
	It hadn't taken long for the Foot Clan to make their presences known. They worked their way through the cracks in the ruins, scouring for the rare metal that the anonymous message had warned them of. Shredder sought the ancient metal so that he could forge weapons and armor that were unbreakable for his horde of robotic ninjas. According to Splinter, the metal had unique property. When it was introduced to the correct amount of heat in it's raw form, it became easily malleable. When it cooled, it would become the hardest substance in the world. If the temperature became too hot, then the metal would become incredibly brittle and useless.
	The whole set up sounded like a terrible plot for a B rated movie, complete with mutants and teenagers lost in the woods. But if the Shredder got his hands on the metal, he could become invincible.
	All of those thoughts were a distant memory. Now, they were in the thick of battle. Donatello had his back pressed firmly to Leonardo's. All around them the sounds of battle raged. It was so loud that Donnie could barely hear Leo's shouted orders. The barrage of fire arrows that Shredder had sent out early on in the battle had done their job well. The crackling of the fire burning around them, cast everything in a hot orange light, burning the leaves and grass that grew up between the cracks in the stone ground. It had been the one attack that could scatter the small group.
	Donnie had been lucky enough to find Leo in all the commotion. Now the smoke had closed in around them, and there was no sign of the others. Donnie could only hope that his friends would have the same luck finding one another as he had. The smoke was becoming more more dense as it closed in around them. It was becoming harder to spot the Foot until they were right on them. Running didn't seem a safe option without the ability to see where they were running too, not to mention the broken stones underfoot weren't making it the  fight any easier. If something fortuitous didn't happen soon, then the battle was lost.
	“Senpai, we have to do something. If we stay here, we'll be overwhelmed.” Donnie yelled over his shoulder.
	“Or be baked alive.” Leo hollered back.
	“Both options are undesirable to say the least. We need another plan.” Donnie coughed against the sticky feeling building in his lungs.
	“I agree. Maybe we could get higher up. See if we can scout a way out of this smoke, or at the very least find the others.” Leo swung his sword out in front of him, making sure the way in front of him was clear.
	“Alright, sounds good. You lead, I'll follow.” Donnie said, rubbing his dry, tingling eyes.
	Donnie almost missed the blade wielding arm that reached for him out of the smoke. Frantically, he stabbed into the dark cloud with his Bo staff and was rewarded with a heavy thunk. The hands fell away. That was too close for comfort. If they were going to do something, they needed to do it now.
	“Now?” Donnie asked impatiently.
	“Now! Follow me!” Leo shouted and headed off.
	Donnie spun around and followed, staying close to Leo. They dodged around the charred ruins and broken statues. As they approached a row of broken pillars, Leo jaunted up one of them. It had toppled in half, giving him a perfect ramp that would let him out above the smoke. Donnie stood below, guarding his brother's back. There was an irritating whistling sound somewhere in the far off distance. Donnie couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it sounded familiar. It was so faint that if he were having a conversation with someone, he might miss it.
	Then he heard Leo screaming from above. Leo dropped down through the dome of smoke, doing a shoulder roll onto his feet. When he looked back at Donnie, the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. He grabbed Donnie's hand and started running. The force almost pulling Donnie off of his feet. They were rushing around the other pillars and stone ruins, everything passed by in a smoky blur. The whistling was coming from above and getting louder. What the hell could that noise be? Donnie wondered.
	Then he got his answer. The ground next to them exploded. A rush of hot air from the shock wave threw them like rag dolls. Donnie's back hit a nearby pillar with a crack, sending him toppling onto the ground below. Hot flecks of stone rained done on his skin, burning.
	The explosions continued. Donnie felt them, but couldn't hear them. The blast had temporarily deafened him. The only sound he could hear was a ringing in the back of his mind. He looked up to see Leo on his way back to him. A shadow passed between them, almost like it hadn't been there as all. Leo was left standing still like a statue, his mouth hanging open, his azure blue eyes wide. The sight of Leo's Katana hitting the ground as it fell from his hand, caused a twist in Donnie's stomach for some unknown reason. It wasn't until Leo clutched his stomach that Donnie realized what had happened.
	A dagger had pierced the plate over his stomach- a gift from the mysterious shadow that passed by. Everything slowed around Donnie as he watched Leo fall back onto the stone. The whistle of the falling bombs, the fire crackling and hissing around them were still silent, but one noise managed to break through his damaged hearing. The weak moan that left Leo's lips. It sounded like his brother was calling his name, calling for help. Donnie's scream pierced the internal silence in his head, Leo's name hung from his lips. Then his ears were filled with noise so loud that it threatened to deafen him again.
	The sounds of the falling bombs had faded. Donnie bounded across the battlefield, swinging his staff wildly. If there was anything in front of him, he would send it away quickly enough. When he reached Leo's side, he fell to his knees. Leo was still gripping his stomach. Blood pooled from between his fingers and around the dagger blade that was still firmly imbedded in him. Donnie felt a cold panic pushing its way into his heart. He had never been one for blood and gore, and seeing it was rush out of his brother only made the pain in his stomach more severe.
	Soft, weak coughs were pushing through his brother's lips, but he still hadn't opened his eyes. Donnie pulled Leo into his lap, cradling his head with one hand. It was a stupid move for Donnie to drop his guard, and he knew it. But his mind wasn't working out the logistics. He was concerned for his brother's safety.
	“Senpai, please open your eyes, give me a sign.” Donnie bend close whispered against Leo's face.
	“Ugh. I should have been been more careful. I just saw you laying there and panicked.” Leo spoke, his voice was strained.
	“Oh thank God, you're alive.” Donnie hugged his brother tightly, causing him to grunt.
	“Well, that might be an overstatement. I have this thing still stuck in me.” Leo closed his hand around the hilt of the dagger and started to pull.
	Donnie gripped Leo's hand. “Don't pull it out. If you do, you'll bleed to death. I need to get you somewhere so I can bandage you up.”
	“I'm telling you, Donnie, I have to get this thing out of me. It feels like the blade is made out of fire or something. It burns.” Leo's hands were quivering in Donnie's fingers.
	“It could just be from the initial trauma. I'll get your somewhere safe so I can have a better look.” Donnie pet the top of Leo's head. “Tell me when you're ready to move, because getting up is going to hurt.”
	“Let's just get it over with.” Leo gasped as he clenched his teeth.
	Donnie slowly pulled Leo to his feet, bringing an arm up across his back. Leo's cry of pain pushed a lump to Donnie's throat. Blood ran down Leo's leg, dripping onto the broken ground. The only good thing that Donnie could see was that the wound wasn't gushing. Leo closed his eyes and gasped again, panting the pain away. Sweat was pouring down his face.
	“Good job, Senpai, you're doing well.” Donnie whispered as he took a step, Leo walking along with him.
	“Head for the bridge.” Leo whispered, weakly pointing with his other hand.
	“Alright.” Donnie was trying to ignore the sound of footfalls coming from behind them.
	The Foot were surely going to be on them in seconds. Or maybe the attacker was someone more formidable. Rahzar, Fishface, or, God forbid, Shredder himself. The smoke would only hide their location for so long. At least the bridge wasn't far away. Once they were safely on the other side, Donnie could cut the ropes. It would buy them some time.
	“Leo, I hear them coming. I'm scared!” Donnie admitted, his breath catching in his throat.
	“Just go faster. I can handle it.” Leo grunted, already pushing himself to move.
	Donnie picked up the pace, almost dragging Leo along with him. The bridge seemed even farther away now than it had been. Panic was pushing through him, causing his knees to grow weak. The footfalls were impossibly close now. A few more steps and they would be dead. Vertigo settled in, throwing Donnie's head into a whirlwind of fear.
	Rahzar erupted from the fire and the smoke, like a demon from hell. The footfall was heavy and menacing. Donnie didn't even have to look back to know who it was; the guttural growl had given it all away. Donnie could see him in his mind. The bone dog's body, disgustingly thin and gaunt. Sharped bone blades on both fingers threatening to rain down terror into their backs. The hollow dead eyes picking him apart from the inside out.
	“I have you now!” The grating voice called out.
	“Get away from my sons!” A familiar voice called through the smoke.
	Donnie turned his head just in time to see Splinter slam into Rahzar. Both of the figures fell away, disappearing into the smoke. Donnie could still hear them battling. When he turned back, they had finally made it to the bridge. There was a cold comfort coursing through him when he felt the wood slats underfoot. A voice in his mind was telling him to go back and help Splinter, but his heart was telling him that he had to take care of Leo, no matter what. All he had to do was make it to the other side of the bridge.
	Then he heard the snap. The bridge was collapsing underneath their combined weight. The ropes that held it together must have been incredibly old, or maybe had been damaged in the attack. Either way, Donnie and Leo were free falling. As they fell through the smoke, into the cool air, Donnie took a deep breath. They had been incredibly high up. A rushing river raced to meet them. Donnie rolled onto his back in midair and wrapped his body around Leo's, trying to keep him safe.
	When they hit the water, he sunk all the way down, striking his back against the smooth rocks on the bottom. It had been hard enough to push the air out of Donnie's lungs. The cold water's fingers pulled them down. The current was harsh, keeping them from resurfacing. Donnie fought to compose himself, fought to hold his brother close. It all seemed too much, too fast. In his logical mind, a million diagrams played out, all graphing out their deaths. If they didn't die, it would be an act of God.
	He felt a snag. A branch had grabbed one of his elbow pads on his way past. The force stopped he and Leo so abruptly that it had almost given him whiplash. Donnie held tight to his precious package and just lay there for a long moment, forcing his body to suck in large gulps of air.
	“Leo? Are you alright?” Donnie asked, his heart throbbing in his chest.
	Leo didn't answer, no doubt the extra stress had caused him to pass out. Or maybe he was dead, his logical brain whispered. Donnie felt a panicked rush coming over him. His fingers groped around his brother's neck for a pulse. Come on, Donnie screamed into the recesses of his head. Where are you? There it was, soft but steady. Leo was alive, and it was time to get him out of the water.
	When he was ready, he started trying to push Leo onto the shore. The cold water was working against his aching muscles. Leo had never felt heavier. If only he would have waited to pass out until they were on the shore. Donnie summoned all of his strength and pushed. Leo rolled onto the shore, flopping onto his back. Blood ran from his naked wound. The knife had been lost in the rushing water. Donnie had to work fast to stop the bleeding. He pulled one of his concealed blades from his wrist wrap, using it to cut open one of his elbow pads. Once he extracted the stuffing, he pushed it tightly against the wound. He fished a roll of electrical tape from his satchel and taped down the stuffing. It was a poor patch job and by no means a permanent fix, but it would buy him some time to figure out a better plan.
	Donnie looked up at the temple at the top of the cliff. It was surrounded by red smoke. Fire pushing its tendrils beyond the outer layers of the clouds. Concern washed over him as he whispered a silent prayer. Please look after my family and friends.
	After a brief search of the river bed and the surrounding cliffs, Donnie managed to find a series of tunnels in the cliff walls. They seemed to be man made and had been there for a long time. While Donnie made his way through the tunnels, he started noticing little signs etched into the walls. Some were simple hash marks, others were full family crests. Only then had he realized that the tunnels must have been used by Samurai and Ninja refugees who wanted to remain unseen. Judging by the layout, all the tunnels seemed to lead to one point. Donnie was getting close to finding it, which was fortunate since his legs were starting to buckle under Leo's weight.
	The central room that for all the tunnels was amazing to behold. It seemed like a well constructed hideout. There were beds for sleeping in, complete with blankets. Granted, most of them were moth eaten, but it was better than nothing. In the center of the room was a large fire pit with a black cast iron pot hanging above it. He may find some preserved foods of some type. At the very least he could catch some fish from the river.
	In an area that looked like a kitchen, there was an old crank water pump. It was used to pump water from the river outside. One whole side of the room was blocked off by a holey curtain. Upon closer inspecting it turned out to be a medical wing. There were sealed pots and jars lining a shelf on the wall. With any luck, Donnie could find something there to help Leo.
	The first thing Donnie had to do was get Leo settled on a cot. He had managed to find a couple of blankets that weren't too tattered or spider infested to use. Once Leo was comfortable, he worked on building a fire. It wasn't as easy as he remembered. Luckily, the wood was so old and dried out that it ignited quickly. In no time the cave was lit by a dull orange glow. Donnie had even attempted to light the torches around the room that still had fuel in them.
	Donnie knelt down next to his brother, pulling the makeshift bandage away. This was the first time he had been able to get a good look at the wound. The skin around the wound had become inflamed and swollen the wound shut. In addition, the lesion itself was turning a strange purple color. Usually purple swelling at the edge of a wound indicated venom of some kind. Without the dagger, it would impossible to know. Worry started to prickle through him. Donnie wasn't a  medical expert by any stretch of imagination. All he knew, he had learned from Splinter.
	Donnie rifled through the medical area, taking his time to check ever nook and cranny for anything that might be able to help Leo. It was more complicated than he thought. His Japanese was rusty, and a lot of the stuff was marked with slang notes. On a brighter side, there were plenty of persevered herbs and flowers petals that he could use to make an antidote. There was even stuff to make a pain relievers, relaxants, and essentially anything he needed, if he could figure out the right combination of ingredients.
	Against one of the walls in the medical area was a desk. It was covered with old scrolls and books. There was also old rusty surgeon equipment and a pair of ancient glasses. Donnie had the brief musing that he and his brothers could make a fortune with this place if they wanted too.
	One of the documents that Donnie came across was fascinating. It had several combinations of herbs, spices, and flowers scrawled upon it. The different combination could be used to make a plethora of remedies and antidotes. There was even a note about mixing different remedies together. Some were compatible, some were deadly when mixed. That type of combining should only be attempted by a master apothecary.
	“Well, that's good to know!” Donnie said to himself as he continued to work through the delicate parchments.
	Donnie found a scroll that mentioned a venom. “Samurai and Ninja alike have been known to use the venom of the Mamushi snake to coat their blades. It would give them an extra edge against large numbers of foes. Noting that it is dishonorable to do so. Very few victims ever survived the venom. Any that were fortunate to survive would be renowned as an exceptional warrior in the eyes of the Emperor. This is fascinating!” Donnie skimmed further down the page. “The venom causes the liquidation of skin and flesh. Leaving victims in intense pain and missing parts of their body.”
	A knot formed in Donnie's stomach as he looked back at his brother. There was no way to tell if that was the type of venom that the Foot had used on Leo. It was as good a place to start as any. Donnie looked back at the combination charts. The word Mamushi was scrawled hastily in the corner of the paper. The symbols below spelled out what herbs he was going to need.
	First things first, he thought. Donnie was going to have to get some water boiling. It didn't say it in the recipe, but using potentially tainted water to cure his brother wasn't an option. Once the water was on it would give him some time to work through all this information and gather the ingredient.
	It had taken some time to decipher all the different symbols on the sides of the bottles and jars, but Donnie was sure that he managed to gather them all. The old mortar and pestle that he found worked like a charm to crush up all of the herbs and seeds. When the water had boiled long enough to kill any bacteria that might be in it, Donnie added the ingredients and stirred them in with a giant wooden spoon he found. Now all he had to do was wait.
	Donnie turned his attention back to Leo's wound, doing his best to clean it up. He'd found an old bottle of wine in the food storage room. It was old and had fermented into a thick alcohol paste that would work more like an antibiotic rub. There were some wraps in one of the baskets in the medical area that weren't too moth eaten to wrap the wound with. They had been too dirty to put directly on the wound, Donnie had to sacrifice the stuffing of his other elbow pad, packing it firmly around the wound once again before wrapping it. When he added the final tightening pull, Leo winced. It was the first time he moved in a long while.
	“Oh God, Donnie, this hurts so bad. I feel like I going to throw up, but I just don't have the strength.” Leo reached out gripping Donnie's shoulder.
	“I know, Senpai. I'm working as fast as I can to get you well again.” Donnie's voice quivered in the quiet room, his trembling hand gripping Leo's
	Leo had drifted off again, his mouth hanging open slightly. Tears welled up in his eyes when he looked down at his brother laying helplessly on his cot. The sight was overwhelming, forcing his body to shake harder. The more he thought about it, the more the tears came. He turned away, unable to endure the sight any longer. He paced over to the fire, slumping down on the stool near the stove and buried his face in his hands to quietly cry.
	“Don't cry, Kohai. I'll be alright.” Leo slowly turned his head to look at him.
	“I'm trying not to.” Donnie cleared his throat and sniffled.
	“I have faith that you'll take care of me.” Leo gave a weak smile and drifted again.
	The word hung in his mind for a long moment. Donnie couldn't give up hope. He rubbed his arm weakly and pursed his lips. He knew he had to keep his composure during this emergency. The last thing Leo needed was for him to fall apart. Donnie quietly made himself a promise. When this was all over and Leo was safe, then he could cry all he wanted.
	Time moved at a crawl. Donnie watched the slow bubbles rolling across the brown liquid. He sighed as he nonchalantly stirred the pot. There was a acrid smell coming from the mixture. A flutter came to his belly. The notes had said that was one of the signs that the mixture was ready. All of the herbs being dissolved was another. The third and final sign was color. When he tipped the cauldron to look at the broth in the firelight, he sighed again. The color was just as the note described. It was ready. Donnie grabbed a wooden bowl and dipped it into the liquid before hurrying to Leo's side. Donnie stopped for a moment to watch his Senpai's chest rise and then fall.
	“Alright, Senpai, the antitoxin is ready. I'm going to help prop you up so you can drink it.” Donnie spoke softly, not wanting to startle Leo.
	“Okay,” was all he managed as Donnie gripped under his arms and pulled him into a sitting position.
	Leo grunted and gripped his freshly bandaged stomach. “Man, it's so hard to move without it hurting.”
	“I know. Soon this is going to be all over, and we can go home.” Donnie handed him the wooden bowl.
	“Good.” Leo whispered, his hands shaking from the loss of blood.
	“Just so you know, you're going to experience a lot of discomfort after drinking this. That just means that it's working.” Donnie warned.
	“Of course it is. Nothing else has been exactly comforting today.” Leo forced a smile to his lips.
	Donnie found himself smiling in response to his Senpai's catty attitude. He curled his bandana straps around his fingers absently. Ribbons of steam rolled off of the broth. Leo recoiled from the smell as he prepared himself to drink it. Donnie could tell that the taste was bitter by how hard Leo's lips turned down after he sipped, and the pleading blue eyes looking up at Donnie. Donnie just urged him to finish drinking it. When he downed the remainder of the liquid, Donnie was there to take the bowl and wipe his lips from where he dribbled.
	“There you go. Now all we can do is wait.” Donnie said, sitting at the foot of the cot.
	Donnie propped his head up on his hands, looking at his brother with concern. The room had grown quiet, only the sound of the rushing river echoing through the caves and the crackling of fire could be heard. Leo lay there still gripping his stomach, a grim look on his face. Donnie knew he was suffering. If only Donnie could have added pain reliever, it might have helped. Every time Leo moved, Donnie reacted with a jolt. Their eyes kept meeting amidst the nerve wracking silence.
	“I don't want to sound ungrateful, but could you do something?” Leo moaned.
	“Whatever you need, just name it.” Donnie lightly ran his fingers along Leo's leg through the blankets.
	“Just do something, anything. You're making me a nervous wreck.” Leo sounded more irritated then he meant to, the discomfort was already starting.
	“Oh, right. Well, I found some books earlier. If you want, I can read one of those to you.” Donnie got up from the cot.
	“That would be fine.” Leo tone was sharp.
	“They're all written in Japanese, but I think I can fake my way through it.” Donnie chuckled nervously as he crossed the room to retrieve one of the books he found earlier.
	“Good.” Leo grunted, gripping his stomach, bicycling his legs against the cot in a writhing motion.
	Donnie came back with a small book in his hand. “It's a book for children. I hope that's okay.”
	“It's fine, Donnie, please read.” Leo was breaking out in a cold sweat.
	Donnie sat back down. His hands were shaking as he opened the book. It was so old that the oil based paper looked like it might fall apart at any second. The words were faded in the dull firelight, but still legible.
	Donnie began, his voice quivering. “This story is called The Sword and the Dagger...”