Timbers & Rivers (Leorai)

Chapter Twelve

"I was filled with doubt. We had already scorched the Earth once. Now, the fire was in my hands, and I had to carry it through..." Artyom, Metro 2033

Leo was woken up by an annoying shake on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and, to his surprise, saw the Dark Child being the one shaking him. He stood up and started to run outside of the Black Building. Chris, who was there too, immediately started to follow suit.

He ran outside of the pillars and turned into a white puff of mist, in other words, invisible mist. Leo disappeared with him, Chris too.

There was a black flash before the three found themselves on the surface, on top of New York's highest skyscraper. It was now not half it's size, it was still the tallest. Chris and Leo gasped in awe at seeing a late, fleshy black thing with roots digging into the ground. It had red, glowing lines all over it.

"This is our home." The Dark Child stated and all three gazed upon the supermassive heart.

"What do you call it?" Chris asked curiously. The Dark Child turned to face him, shrugging his shoulders in a human-child way.

"So, that looks alive, like it's a heart that's beating. If that gets destroyed, your entire race is destroyed." Leo guessed with a finger in his chin, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Correct."

"Wow. It must be important." Chris gasped and stood beside Leo and the Dark Child.

Suddenly, there was another flash of black, and the three found themselves back inside the Black Building. This time, Dark Ones crowded the building and surrounded Leo and Chris.

The Dark Child stood next to the tallest of the race, he looked more grey than black.

"Our race is in danger." He hissed. He continuously repeated the phrase, soon every other Dark One doing the same.

Chris and Leo both clutched their heads in pain and dropped to their knees, groaning. A loud ringing overpowered the whispers, until faint calling of their names overpowered that.

Soon Leo felt himself being shaken and he sat bolt upright to see Karai in his face. She pointed to Raph, who ha his shotgun aimed at the Dark Child. He was just about to pull the trigger.

Leo and Chris scrambled to their feet and race towards him. Time slowed a little. Leo was faster and managed to through himself in from of the bullet just as it tore itself from the gun.

Chris, however, pulled the gun from Raph's grasp one millisecond too late. The bullet tore itself through the air, flying directly at Leo.

Suddenly, the Dark Child teleported in front of Leo, right time on the dot. The bullet tore through his chest, the child fell limp in Leo's arms.

Time sped up to the present.

Leo and Chris gasped in absolute horror when the child fell into Leo's awaiting arms. He laid him on the ground and Chris kneeled next to the turtle.

"No..." Chris whispered. "No no no no no no no no no..."

The Dark Child's eyes were dazed, but he was still alive. White blood stained his chest and floor. He let out a heartbreaking, high-pitched whining noise and his struggling became weaker.

All of a sudden, a fully grown Dark One appeared and looked down on the child. Everyone froze in fear at it's appearance, even Raph and Casey.

As the child died, the Dark One raised the shotgun off of the concrete ground and brung the barrel to it's head. It made the same whining noise and slowly pulled the trigger. It fell o the ground, dead.

Leo clasped both of his hands around his mouth, tears threatening to burst. Chris noticed and placed a comforting ham on his shell, tears in his own eyes. Leo soon turned to glare at the bewildered red clad turtle.

"HOW COULD YOU!!??" Leo screamed, luckily most people were used to their shouting so they ignored the family.

"Leo... I-I" Raph began to apologise but was rudely cut off.

"NO! NO YOU'RE NOT! I HATE YOU!!"

Everyone stared at Leo in shock, except for Chris, and the girls gasped.

Chris and Leo looked at the Dark Ones fade away into ash, and stood up. Try both nodded to each other and ran.