The Third Deadly Sin (TMNT fan fiction)

The Third Deadly Sin Part 4

"Mikey." Leo's tone was terse as he turned back towards the passageway.

"On it," Mikey said, his shell cell sliding into his hand in one practiced motion.

Raph answered on the first ring. "What?" His voice was clipped, a sure sign that he was on edge.

"Don's gone," Mikey said quickly. "Leo and I are headed back to the kitchen. Check the front and then meet us."

"Shit!" Raph cursed before he hung up.

Leo was moving fast and Mikey had to hop to catch up to him. They paused once as Leo yanked open the door near the staircase, but all he did was take a quick look out. Being thorough, Mikey knew, even though they both had a feeling that Don was back in the kitchen.

Raph must have still been close to the kitchen when Mikey called him, because they heard his deep voice as they approached the kitchen door.

"Dammit, Don! What the fuck were ya' thinking? Ya' scared the crap out of Leo and Mikey," Raph said.

Leo wrenched open the kitchen door, pulling it off its hinges in the process. It hit the floor with a resounding bang, sending a dust cloud into the already gloomy air. Mikey hoped it hadn't landed on an unnoticed dust man.

Casey appeared from the dining room side, his face wearing an anxious look. Raph had apparently sent him to the front of the house while he took the back. Splitting the search team was faster, but Mikey wished they'd stop doing that.

Don was holding the chandelier tightly against his plastron with one arm; in the other was his stun gun. He was pointing it at Raph.

The tableau changed as Leo and Mikey plunged into the kitchen. Mikey froze as Don turned the weapon towards them.

Leo had his arms up, palms outward as he said, "What are you doing, Donatello?"

"I have to protect it," Don said querulously. "Anyone could come in and take it while we're searching the house."

Leo slid forward a step, moving slowly so as not to alarm Don further. He used his toes to feel for the plywood bracing as he kept his eyes on Donatello.

"Who do you think is going to come in here, Donny?" Mikey asked quietly, trying to draw Don's attention away from Leo.

Don's eyes shifted to him. "The preservationists could come," he said. "The p . . . police; they could walk in here through the back door. They'd see the ch . . . chandelier and take it."

"Not with a dead man practically starin' at them," Casey said, seeing what Mike was trying to do.

"Dead man?" Don asked, as though he'd forgotten a corpse was sticking halfway up through the floor only a couple of feet away from him.

Leo managed to gain another foot before Don swung his weapon back towards him.

"That's Leo, dude. Not some outsider you're pointing that gun at," Mikey said, shifting his feet to pull Don's eyes off Leo.

"He wants it too," Don said. "Can't you see that, Mikey? Leo wants the fortune."

Mikey opened his mouth to reply, but Leo beat him to it. "Don't you understand the security that chandelier would afford us bro'? We wouldn't have to fight the Foot all alone anymore; we could hire our own army. "

Twisting his head to the side, Mikey stared at Leo in astonishment. He hoped like shell that Leo was simply humoring his brother.

"With the proper technology, I could rid the world of the Foot clan," Don argued. "Then I wouldn't have to spend my time training and fighting; I could devote my life to research."