Prologue
They were the last ones left.
Their friends had all been slaughtered in the same war that took the life of their father.
The same war that would take their lives.
But they held their heads high as they scaled the side of the New York building to begin the last fight of their lives.
A cool breeze rustled the tails of their masks, but they hardly noticed as they gripped their weapons. There, on the other side of the roof, was Shredder. The night was silent, just for a moment, before a roar of rage filled the air and the fighting began.
Mikey fell first.
His throat had been slashed open by the Shredder, his body crumpling to the ground in a bloody heap.
“Mikey!” his brothers screamed at the same time. They all tried to reach the body of their baby brother, but the monster in front of them blocked their path to him. Shredder laughed, regarding the broken body at his feet.
“Pathetic.”
The tallest brother let out a howl of rage, tears streaming down his face as he used his bo staff to launch himself in the air. If he could just reach Mikey, if he could just get to the body, he could find a way to fix this.
But it was not to be.
“Donnie, wait—”
The purple-clad turtle didn’t make it past the Shredder. The monster caught him in midair, and in one fluid motion, it snapped his neck.
The two older brothers roared as Donnie’s body fell on top of Mikey’s. They attacked as one, with just one goal: kill the Shredder and avenge their family. Shredder took some of their hits but doled out more. He yanked the blue-clad turtle’s arm, ripping it out of its socket before throwing the turtle across the roof. Raph was quick to stand between Shredder and his brother, trying to ignore the fact that the bodies of his younger brothers lay a few feet behind him.
Shredder lunged, but Raph dodged and pushed him back. The turtle jumped, kicking Shredder in the chest. The monster staggered backward, and Raph stabbed with his sais. One dug into the Shredder’s shoulder, and the beast lashed out with his claws in pain and rage.
Raph’s body fell to the ground not a second later, blood seeping out of his open plastron.
Leo watched in horror as his last brother fell, then slowly brought his eyes up to the Shredder. Ignoring the pain in his arm he leapt, closing the distance between them. Shredder blocked his first attack but failed to block the next one. Leo swung low, aiming for his legs. Shredder staggered back before rushing at Leo, slamming him into the ground. He aimed a killing blow at the turtle, but Leo rolled away and jumped up. He struck again and again, gaining on the Shredder with each painful swing of his katanas.
Shredder growled. “Enough!”
Leo swung his katanas one last time before white-hot pain erupted in his chest. His eyes widened as the Shredder’s decapitated body fell backward, pulling the blade from Leo’s own body. Leonardo stumbled back, tripping over Raph’s body. He was dead before he hit the ground, his body acting as a bridge between his brothers.
The New York night went silent, as though the city itself was mourning the loss of the four heroes who defended against danger time and time again. Their bodies now lay, bruised and broken, atop a roof in the middle of the city. Their memory would soon be lost, erased from the world once the last of their allies passed on.
But when danger called, they would again reunite.
After all, they were heroes. And an old foe was rising once again.