A/N: I know this was a long time coming, but life happens, unfortunately. I've been dealing with my husband's ever-growing health issues over the past several months, including a worsening of his gastroparesis, which is basically a malfunction of the stomach due to nerve damage from his diabetes. It causes the stomach to stop functioning at times, and combined with acid reflux, causes severe nausea and vomiting, sometimes for days at a time. This makes it impossible to keep his meds down long enough for them to work, so his blood pressure and sugar level go through the roof, and well, yeah... That said, I had also gone through a bit of writer's block, probably because of all the stress. But I finally managed to grind this out, and I really hope everyone likes it, even though it is kind of short!

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Chapter 6: Countdown to Extinction

He could see the dangerous glint in Raph's eyes as soon as they rejoined him on the next rooftop. Shit. They'd seen Lotus, and obviously weren't happy about it. Mikey was clearly hyper, bouncing excitedly as they approached. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Now I know why ya' had us wait for your signal, dude," Michelangelo teased. "You wanted her to yourself! I'm hurt, bro- you too good to share with the rest of us, now?" He taunted. Mikey was needling him mercilessly, and Leonardo found it grating. He rolled his eyes at the younger mutant's antics, particularly the way he was insinuating that Leo was trying to hide something from them. It wasn't like that, but he'd never convince THEM of that. Not now that they had seen her, and he knew they had. They didn't even have to say it.

"Don't you ever think with anything besides what's under your shell?" Leonardo asked disgustedly.

"Of course not. That would be too much like work!" Donatello commented snidely, rolling his eyes as he shoved Mikey away with a hand to the snout when he bounced too close. The younger mutant simply gave him his own approximation of a rude gesture and then scuttled over next to Raph, who was already breathing down their leader's neck.

"So what's the story, LEO?" Raphael said icily. It was obvious that he was angry over his brother not letting them in on whatever had just transpired. Leo shook his head and held up a hand to forestall further conversation, and then began to stride purposely away, toward the Ima-Gen building.

"It was nothing, guys- just an unexpected complication. Just focus on the mission. Let's GO." His tone was unmistakable. Final. The other three all traded glances, knowing they would get nothing else out of the eldest on this subject. Whatever was going on, he was keeping it to himself.

"Does that complication happen to leave flowers as calling cards?" Donatello's question stopped him cold. Leonardo turned to regard the genius warily, wondering what he was fishing for.

"And if it does?" He asked carefully. Now was not the time to bring up past issues, and it certainly wasn't the time to lose focus on the bigger picture, or the threat hanging over all of them. But Donnie was too direct and perceptive where family was concerned not to have some kind of point behind his comment. He wasn't usually this confrontational unless he thought he had a good reason to be.

Raph had been uncharacteristically silent to that point, but now he exploded. "I KNEW it! You were makin' some kind'a deal wit' 'dat Lotus bitch! You were gonna' sell us out!" Two heads turned with jaws slack in shock at the bald accusation. Betraying his family was one thing they knew Leonardo would NEVER do, no matter how tempting an offer was made.

"No, Raph, I wasn't, since you guys seem so hung up on this. Not that she didn't make any offers, but it was for ALL of us, just so you know." He waved it off, ignoring the lack of respect and trust his brother had just shown in accusing him of betrayal. He refused to rise to that bait tonight. Too much was riding on their success. "But if it will make you happy, I told her where to shove it. End of story." There was more to it, but they didn't need to know that. "Can we just get back to our mission now? We are wasting time."

Raph seemed to consider that for a long moment, and Mikey just stood looking from Leo to his brothers and back again uncertainly. Donnie was staring at him with a suspicious look on his face. Of all of them, he was the only one who knew Leo still kept the flower Lotus had left behind in their first meeting. The woman had made an impression on their big brother, that much was certain. He had never mentioned her again, but Donnie sometimes saw him sitting in his room, gingerly holding the dried, pressed flower he kept in the box of small mementos that was normally hidden behind a loose brick in the wall of his room. The forlorn, faraway look on his face at those secret moments told Donnie everything he needed to know. Leo was secretly in love with the woman.

Love. That word was almost foreign to them all, save for the bond of brotherhood they shared. It was the only kind of love they had ever experienced. They certainly never had any from Splinter. Donnie had come close when they first encountered April and she had seemed fascinated with them in the beginning. Before she knew what they were like. He had even harbored a secret hope that she might grow to feel romantically interested in him, though he knew that was logically impossible. Once Splinter had done his work on her mind though, that had evaporated like summer rain on a hot sidewalk.

"He's right, guys. We can work this out later, assuming there IS a later," Donnie finally said. Michelangelo looked ready to forget the entire incident, but Raph apparently had other ideas.

"Yeah, so what did she offer us? Come on Leo, what's she got that we can't get on our own?" He was challenging the leader again; both of the two younger turtles threw their hands up and sighed in exasperation. They knew from experience what was coming.

"Fight?" Don queried unnecessarily.

"Fight." Mikey confirmed.

"Great- we'll sit it out." Shaking his head in frustration, Donatello trudged over to the ledge of the rooftop, with the orange-clad mutant hopping close behind him as they left the other two to hash out whatever was crawling up their shells tonight.

"Raph, it doesn't matter, because I turned it down. We have our duty, and I'm not about to flush our obligations down the toilet just because she dangles a carrot in front of me. So forget about it." Leo said, pacing in agitation. He had just about had enough of being grilled by his subordinate- and what the Hell was Raph's problem tonight, anyway? He knew what was at stake, yet he insisted on jeopardizing their mission over some ridiculous notion that Leo was about to abandon them.

Raph snorted derisively, arms crossing over his chest. "Duty, huh? Is 'dat what ya' call it? 'Cause it looks more like an excuse to keep lettin' 'dat rat-fink we call a dad treat us like dirt. What, ya' couldn't consult the rest of us about it? Maybe put it to a vote or somethin'? Fuck, Leo, maybe some of us mighta' WANTED to take her up on whatever it was she was offerin'!"

Leonardo rounded on him angrily. "NO! We are a family, and he IS our father, like it or not. That has to mean something, or we might as well just be animals. I want to leave as badly as you do, but we are who and what we are because of him. For fuck's sake, Raph, we owe him our very EXISTANCE! And you just expect me to pretend that doesn't mean anything?!" Leo wasn't usually one to curse- he might have been raised a cold-blooded killer, but one thing he wasn't was crude- but right now was one of the few times he felt compelled to. That said something about how rattled he was. Lotus had gotten deeper under his skin than he wanted to admit, and now his brothers were forcing him to question his decision to refuse her offer. And as much as he hated to acknowledge it, Raph might be right. Was he right to make that choice for all of them, knowing he was condemning them all to further abuse at their "father's" hands? He was thankful Splinter was now too old to subject any of them to the unique brand of torment he himself had endured for years in silence.

Donatello watched quietly as the two older siblings argued, wondering if his own back-up plan had begun to take effect yet. It had been initiated earlier that day, when Splinter had gone into the kitchen for his morning cup of tea. Donnie theorized that he would have had at least three cups by now- more than enough. Whatever else happened tonight, they were free forever. Or at least they would be once they returned home and he saw for certain that his plan had worked. Leo might be above using ninja tricks against his own family, but Donnie felt no such compunctions. He was a pragmatist, always.

He thought about telling them what he had done, but decided to leave it alone for now. Leo was losing control as it was, after Lotus had paid him that unexpected visit. If Donnie told him the news now, he would completely unravel. Not that Raphael wasn't doing his best to cause that on his own. But that was just Raph.

"Are you guys done with your cat-fight yet? I'm BORED!" Mikey interjected, suddenly getting between the two squabbling siblings. "Besides, Raph's right, I mean, as it stands now, ANYTHING is bound to be better than livin' in the sewer gettin' the crap beat out of us every time 'dad' decides we've done somethin' wrong. I'm TIRED of goin' to bed hungry or not gettin' to sleep for days just because he's punishing us for somethin' stupid. I'm tired of livin' in a literal shit-hole, and doin' other peoples' dirty work for 'em."

"SHUT UP MIKEY!" Both brothers turned and yelled at him as one, without even realizing it. He flinched, and backed up a step, expecting a smack from at least one direction, maybe both. When it didn't come, he sighed, as they turned back to glare at each other.

"Sheesh, I was just sayin'. No need to bite my head off, guys." He said meekly, slowly bowing respectfully as he continued to back away. "But are we gonna' stand here bickering all night, or are we gonna' go do what we came for?" He heard answering growls from both brothers, before Donnie darted up behind to pull him back by the upper edge of his shell. He yelped, but he knew better than to resist. Donnie was protecting him, in his own twisted way.

"Not to point out the obvious here, but Mikey has a point. We DO have a job to do, guys, like it or not. And we all know the consequences of failure. If Splinter doesn't rip us all a new one- and I mean that literally- then our 'client' certainly will. Let's leave the debate for AFTER we get that data."

Leo sighed heavily. "You're right, Donnie. We do the mission, and deal with this issue another time. Now let's go." He turned away and strode toward the edge of the roof, leaving Raphael staring open-mouthed, whatever protest he'd been about to make left unspoken. Donnie and Mikey followed their brother, though both seemed less than eager to finish their mission for once.

Ten minutes later, they had grappled over to the roof of the Ima-Gen building, deciding that there would be less security to impede progress if they went in from above. Or more to the point, from the side. Most of the building security was concentrated at the obvious entry points- the doors and the elevator access and air conditioner vents on the roof. There was a basement access from the sewers as well, but they had already used that route the previous night, so they knew that it would have increased security. Instead, they planned on simply rappelling down to the floor where the lab was, and opening one of the windows. Simple, but effective. Donatello used one of his many gadgets to open the window, and they slipped inside silently, into a darkened office. It was just a few doors down from the lab and office they needed. Leonardo led the way, opening the door to the outer room full of workstations- all empty, toward the office at the other end. The entire floor was quiet and empty, unlike the last time they had attempted to steal the data for the new drug. Then, Oroku Saki and his mutant cohorts had anticipated their arrival and ambushed them, and the ensuing battle had left them empty-handed.

They entered the large laboratory, passing tables covered with various beakers, flasks, and vials, Bunsen burners, centrifuges, and other items, past huge pieces of equipment whose purpose only Donnie understood, and made their way to the smaller office near the rear. A door at the other end of the lab area led to a hallway where the elevator they had escaped through last time lay. So far, all was going according to plan. They hadn't even needed to disable any security except the video surveillance. Donatello had placed it on a time-loop, which would keep any guards from seeing them. The lab itself had no security, as the floor itself was restricted and required a pass-code to even access. They had bypassed that when they had used the window.

Donatello entered the office first, maneuvering over to the computer on the large, messy desk of the head scientist for Ima-Gen's pharmaceutical division. He turned on the computer, plugged in a flash stick, and began transferring files, while his brothers stood guard. It took less than ten minutes to completely copy the entire contents of the machine, gaining far more data then they had actually come for. But Donnie was nothing if not thorough, and besides, he was sure he could find a use for it- or a buyer, if it came to that.

Donatello announced the download was complete in a whisper, and they retraced their steps back toward the window. Along the way, the light-fingered ninja palmed several bottles of chemicals, implements, and other small items, to use in his own small lab at home. He did this every time their mission involved stealing anything even remotely useful, especially new technology, schematics, or formulae. He simply couldn't help himself- he was an unashamed kleptomaniac, but one with certain obsessions that made him pick up ANYTHING tech-y or science-related. Mikey had once joked that Don was more magpie than turtle. The others noticed his pilfering, but said nothing, knowing it was just one of his odd habits, like his addiction to coffee.

In minutes, they were grappling back across to the nearest high rooftop, breathing sighs of relief that their mission had been successful. There had been no interruptions this time, no obstacles to cause their father to punish them for failure. They could finally relax, and maybe even celebrate with a rare treat, like ordering a pizza. Donatello, especially, felt satisfaction at knowing what they would likely find on their return home. If it wasn't already finished, it would be soon….

It happened so fast they barely had time to register the first attack before it was too late. A small sound like air puffing through a pipe was the only warning they heard. An instant later, they felt a sting on the back of their necks, and they had only enough time to reach up and pull the darts that had pierced their skin before they all began to feel groggy and disoriented. Within seconds, all four went down, rendered unconscious by the drugged darts. Just before he passed out, Leonardo was able to look up for just a moment, and saw a lithe, long-haired shape slip from the shadows, moving silently to stand above him. Lotus.

"I told you before, Leonardo, you are my concern, like it or not. And now I will deliver you to my employer. If you are lucky, perhaps he will have mercy on all of you." Her words were the last thing he heard before he realized they had lost, and everything went black.