You're Needed Here Now, Donnie

Chapter 9 - Taking It to the Street

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: Chapter 9 of 'You're Needed Here Now, Donnie' is here and Rahzar's back! So is the Donnie angst! Hope you like it! Thanks to those who have been reading this story. I really hope that you are enjoying it. Please let me know. ;) CJ

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Chapter 9 – Taking It to the Street

The tension hung in the air so thick it was tangible, making everything feel significantly heavier than it had only seconds before. It was like gravity itself had been cranked up a notch or two, or, to put it in 'Donnie terms,' it was as though the Earth's gravitational pull had accelerated by several metres per second squared.

Mikey stared at Rahzar's slender yet hulking form now poised in the middle of the street with his long claws splayed out at his sides, ready to strike. The youngest brother was reminded of a showdown scene from one of those old western movies. Well, except that there weren't any guns involved and not one of them was wearing a cowboy hat, spurs, or chaps. Then, there was the fact that they were in the east (coast that is), not the west. Still, there was enough similarity that Mikey was seriously fighting the undeniable urge to drawl the words 'this town ain't big enough for the five of us' or 'draw, partner.' Better yet! He could hum the theme song from that "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" movie that he had seen on some late-night western marathon a few weeks back. The guys hosting the marathon had referred to it as a classic 'spaghetti' western, but Mikey didn't remember any of the actors actually eating spaghetti at any point during the film. What he did remember was that the movie had a lot of epic face-off scenes much like the one that they were in right now. Mikey decided that this situation was totally like the modern-day version of that movie, with him being 'the good,' Rahzar being 'the bad,' and Raph being 'the ugly.'

Man, that movie was all kinds of awesome! I bet I'd look super cool sporting a cowboy hat! Mikey thought to himself, trying not to let his excitement show. He was fairly certain that his older brothers would find his current line of thinking wholly inappropriate given the rather grim circumstances.

Rahzar was some twenty-five feet away and closing and he looked more tee'd off than usual. At least, Mikey thought he did. It was kind of difficult to actually read Rahzar's expression ever since his second mutation. In Chris Bradford's 'Rahzar' form, the majority of his face was comprised of wicked-looking teeth and bones. Mikey imagined even when the guy was happy, he still looked ticked.

Kind of like Raph . . .

"I knew you were lying just to protect your brother! Your Sensei isn't coming to save you!" Rahzar snarled as he stalked towards the four turtles. "Which makes me wonder what else you were lying about . . . Like maybe how your brother can't make me human again." There was something morbidly sinister about the way that Rahzar had rolled out that last line and the way that he had been ogling at Donnie as he had said it.

From Raph's shoulder, Donnie let out a muffled moan and his brothers weren't sure if it was because of the sound of Rahzar's voice, because of what Rahzar had just said, or because he was in pain.

As Rahzar drew nearer, Leo and Mikey took battle stances in front of Raph and Donnie, preparing to shield the two of them from a potential attack. They knew that Raph wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight while holding onto Donnie, but apparently, that didn't concern Raph any, because he pushed right through Leo and Mikey's formation with Donnie in tow.

"I've got a bone to pick with you!" Raph fumed, but he didn't quite set the menacing atmosphere he had wanted to without the use of his hands or his weapons. His threat was a little hollow due to the fact that he was toting a nearly two-hundred pound turtle on his back.