Gargoyles X TMNT: Shadows of New York

Ninja Vanish

A single red dot, like a devil firefly, glowed on her sternum.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" She asked. Her voice trembled at the edge of tears. She couldn't help it.

"Sorry. You've seen too much." The man said insincerely. "I know. It's not easy to turn out the lights. Just close your eyes, and I'll make it fast."

"Wolf, she's a kid." The Australian man, Dingo, swept his beam in their direction, illuminating April's face. "She can't be much older than fifteen, mate. You're cold, but you've never killed a kid."

"Fox wouldn't have any issue." Jackal drawled. "My sister wouldn't. And neither do I. And this isn't a democracy, as you like to so frequently remind us."

"Then why are you debating this with me? She can still go to the cops. Unless you buffoons want to go back to Rikers Island." Wolf threatened.

-

Running on the rooftop, Leo could practically hear his bones squeak with each footfall. His painkillers had kicked in long ago, but the noise still unnerved him. Don's stride was longer than his–he was about four inches taller–but even then, Leo could tell Don was slowing down on purpose.

"Leave me." Leo grunted. "I'll catch up."

Don gave him a worried look.

"Get April." He growled. "I'll be fine."

Don's eyes seemed to start asking a question. But, ceding to his brother's orders, he pulled ahead and left Leonardo in the dust, the bobbing of his long-tailed cap the only thing he saw as he drew his bō and vaulted over the edge, across the gap to the next building.

Leo felt the stitch beginning to form in his side, but tried to grit his teeth and breathe air into the space. He looked up, checking for overhead wires, and spotted a shadow.

A huge shadow.

Leo felt his heart thud behind the bony plate of his plastron. Some primal fear that lurked deep in his instincts begged him to vanish, to disappear into a doorway or stairwell. Some animal instinct that had never been quite wiped away by his mutation that screamed 'predator'. But what overrode that fear was the column of smoke that rose in the distance.

Just once, Leo wished, I'd like to be able to shell up and hide like a normal turtle.

He seized control over his legs, his pumping heart aching sore. Even as the medicine in his blood fought the pain, his disciplined will fought the terror.

Keep running. You have a job to do.

He took shallow breaths, timing them with his footfalls to soothe the ache behind his scutes.

Be brave. Be like April.

In and out.

Be like April.

-

Far down the street, Raphael dug in his coat for something. He cussed, enough to make Mikey turn his head.

Eight seconds.

"Do you kiss your mom with that mouth, dude?" Mikey asked.

"Our mom's either dead, or eating minnows in a marsh." Raph retorted. "Do you got your flashlight?"

Mikey's hand whipped into his pocket and pulled out a small hand flashlight with a flourish. "You're welcome!" He beamed.

Raph snatched it, crouching to one knee and clicked it once, on and off. And then, they waited.