A/N: This was the original plot-line for "Fear Not the Night", and I'm glad I changed my mind on that one. Be aware, this tale is horribly graphic and not suited for those with weak stomachs or the squeamish. For added effect, listen to the "Dead Silence Theme" while reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.

"Leo, leave me alone. I know what I did! I know I was wrong! You don't have to keep telling me how dangerous it was!" Raph snarled at me. I stared at him. We stood on a roof top. Cold rain pelted our skin and the howling wind tore at our mask tails. Lightning flashed angrily above us. It was night. Raph was angry and guilty. I was my usual cocky self, trying to have a "Captain Ryan" moment with my brother. He ran out of the lair after our sensei gave him a really stern talking to. It was all because Mikey had really ticked Raph off earlier. Of course, Raph being Raph, he beat the crap out of our little brother. I can't really blame him, but he took it too far. Way too far. Mikey passed out.

Knowing Mikey, he's probably eating a lollipop right now while Donnie and Splinter dish out lectures.

"Raph, just come back home. I seriously would rather be watching Space Heroes right now, bro. Don't waste both of our time." I sigh, trying to convince him. Really, I don't want to spend all night up here trying to get him to go home.

He just gives me a look. "Leo, I'm not going home just because you want to watch that stupid show. Geez, Leo, I'm not going back home tonight!" He shouted at me before turning and sprinting away.

"Raph! As your leader, I order you to get back over here!" I shout back as I start after him.

"No!" He snarls.

I leap as I near the edge of the roof and somersault through the air. I land on both feet in a sprint, skidding as I do so. The rain has made everything slippery. I hope Raph doesn't slip off a roof top. He could get seriously hurt out here. I see him ahead of me, just barely. The rain is hiding him good.

I jump up and reach for the edge of the next rooftop and vault over into open air. My eyes go wide.

It wasn't a rooftop. I'm falling. The world is spinning around me. I can feel bile rise in my stomach. I try to right myself, but I can't. I'm falling too fast. Then I hit the ground. I hear more than a few things break and I cry out in pain. It hurt. It really hurt. I landed on my plastron. I try to open my eyes and barely succeed as darkness tries to take over my mind. I move my arms with a moan of pain and try to lift myself up. Something in my right arm snaps and I fall back on it, causing something else to crack. I screw my eyes shut in pain. It hurts bad.

I take a deep breath and try to get my feet under me while using my left hand to brace my weight. I manage to rise to one knee, just barely. I'm panting and sweat beads my skin. My chest is heaving, and that hurts, so I know I broke a rib or two. Damn, it hurts. I'm never going to do that ever again. Captain Ryan wouldn't have ever done it in the first place. He knows better.

I try to get my other leg underneath me and I instantly know that it's broken. I steady myself and unsheathe one of my katanas with my left hand. I stab it into the mud and slowly rise. Something's not right in my leg, but it's not bad enough to be broken. I lean onto my katana and take a deep breath before I try taking a step. I move the katana and stab it into the mud again and take another step. This time my foot slips and I fall back, onto my shell. I wince as pain floods my senses.

Not gonna work. Not at all. I dig my cell phone out of my belt. I stare at it and sigh. It looks broken, but it might work. I can't see the screen, but I dial Raph's number and call. I bring it up to the side of my head and I hear beeping, so it's working. I hear a pause and then the sound of heavy breathing and rain.

"Raph, I know you're there, and I," I begin, trying to ignore the pain everywhere in my body.

"Leo, I already told you that I'm not going back anytime soon. Don't call me again, Leo, or I'll rip every Space Heroes comic you own." Raph said.

"Wait, Raph, that's not what I," I try to say but the phone shuts off with the sound of static. I look at it. It's definitely dead.

"Jerk." I mutter darkly.

I toss it at the wall of the alley in frustration. It completely shatters. Now what do I do? I can't walk. I can't call anyone for help. What would Captain Ryan do?

I roll onto my shell and wince as I feel a twinge of pain in my chest. I reach with my left hand and dig my fingers deep into the mud. I pull myself forward, holding my broken arm off the ground to prevent it from hurting more than it already does. I grunt in exertion and keep dragging myself. I'm covered in mud now. I can't even feel my fingers anymore.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" I hear a voice call.

Shoot. It's probably a human. I'm not supposed to be seen by humans, especially not like this. I keep dragging myself forward but I hear footsteps.

"Woah, is that a turtle?"

"It's big for a turtle."

"It's one of those mutant things we've been hearing about in the news."

"I think it's hurt."

I try ignoring them, but one of them moves around me to stand right in front of me. I can see his muddy boots, they look pretty tough. I look up to see him standing over me with his hands crossed over his chest. His face is mostly hidden in shadow, but I can see that he's got very little hair and bright green eyes. He looks me over.

"Can you talk?" He asks me.

I don't know if I want to answer him. I really need some help, but I shouldn't be taking help from humans. They might get me sent to a lab to be dissected. In the end, though, I don't have much of a choice. I'm a little desperate right now.

"Yes," I say.

"Jake, Lively, come over here. I'm going to need help carrying him back to our place." He says, beckoning to people behind me.

"Wait, I," I begin.

"You need help. Just let us help." He assures me.

I can feel the pain taking over, forcing me to lose consciousness. I don't have a choice. As much as I don't like it, I need their help. "O-Okay." I manage. My vision is going blurry. I can barely see anything besides those green eyes. I feel them lift me, and I lose consciousness, surrendering to the darkness.

~.~.~.~.~

My eyes slowly flutter open. My head is bowed and my shell is pressed against a wall. It's dark here. Wherever here is. It smells too. It smells like rot and dirt and blood. It's worse than the sewer stench I'm used to. I shake the fuzziness out of my head. I freeze as I can suddenly taste something vile in my mouth. I try to open my mouth and spit it out, but my mouth has been taped shut. I lift a hand up to my face to remove it and flinch as something slaps me in the face as I do so. I look around, but nothing's here. Just me.

I try taking the tape off again and again something slaps me. I don't know what it is. I lift my hand up and watch it carefully as I reach for the tape covering my mouth. My entire forearm falls off. I freeze in shock and horror. My blue gaze turns to my stumped right arm and I stare. My arm. It's gone.

What's happening to me? I can feel my pulse race. My heart hammers in my chest. I can't believe it. My arm fell off. My arm fell off. MY ARM FELL OFF!

I look around swiftly and look at my left arm. I scream into my gag. My other arm was cut off and taped back in place. Vomit surges up from my throat and fills my mouth, but I can't spit it out. I can't open my mouth. I swallow my own vomit, though some of it spills out through creases in the tape and runs down my face. I don't know what's going on. I don't want to know what's going on.

I can only hope that this is a nightmare, and I hope it ends soon.

"Hello." A voice whispers behind me. "I see you've found our little surprise." It says with a breathy chuckle. I throw myself forward, and manage to get my feet underneath me, only for them to give out and me fall flat on my plastron. I drag myself forward with my stumped arm and my… dead arm. The floor is made of rotten wood. I can feel rusty nails scraping my skin away as I crawl and splinters embed themselves in my skin.

He—she—it slams a boot onto my shell and plants me firmly in place. I can't move.

"And just where do you think you're going?" He hisses happily. "The fun has only begun."

I freeze as I feel his breath on the back of my neck. He leans over me and rips the tape off of my mouth. I almost expect my mouth to fall off too, but it doesn't. I spit out the collection of vomit. Something else exits my mouth. I stare at it. It's an eyeball with a blue iris. I can feel my breathing increase as I begin to lose myself to the panic. "What are you doing to me?!" I shout at him. Something wet and slimy trails across the back of my neck, causing me to stiffen and freeze up.

He laughs again, that same breathy laugh, and I can feel his breath on my neck.

"I've watched you for a very long time. You're so very special, Leonardo. Very special. I've been waiting for this." He whispers with a paper thin voice.

I don't know what to make of that. I don't know what to say to that or what to ask anymore. I don't know how to react to that.

"Who are you?" I whisper.

"Someone who cares about you very much, Leo." He whispers before I feel him bite my shoulder. I gasp in pain, but it's nothing compared to the horror. He was stalking me, waiting for me to slip up. What does he want from me?

"I want you. All of you." He answers my silent question unknowingly… or knowingly. Does he know my thoughts now? Can he read my mind? That should be the least of my worries. I'm trapped here, hurt, and definitely in danger. What is there that I can do to save myself? What about my brothers?

I need them. I need them right now.

He presses his mouth to my jaw and something wet trails the edge of my jaw. It's his tongue. Has to be. I don't want it to be that. I don't want it to be anything at all. I grunt and writhe and try crawling and rolling, but he keeps me rooted in place. I finally throw my head back and hear the crack of my skull hitting his jaw. He grunts and his weight is lifted. I try crawling but he only stomps on my shell again and straddles me. His hands are roaming over my body unhindered. I can feel everything and I can do nothing about it. My legs are useless, somehow, and my arms are gone. I can't do anything. Nothing.

I screw my eyes shut and try to ignore the obscene promises he whispers to me. But I hear them, and he keeps every one of them. I can feel it all. Then the searing pain of his final dirty promise floods all of my consciousness. I scream and I can feel the tears running down my cheeks, but he devours my tears with eagerness. I want to wake up. I want to end this nightmare, but I can't.

This isn't a nightmare. It's real.

~.~.~.~.~

It's morning by the time Raphael enters the lair. Dark circles hang under his tired green gaze. He sports a few new bruises, but it's nothing new. He wondered briefly if Leo got to watch his Space Heroes, and shrugged it off. It was a stupid show, and he was glad that Leo hadn't made him watch it with him. He yawned and headed for the kitchen. He froze.

Master Splinter was there waiting for him. He looked worried, like he hadn't slept all night.

"Sensei, I'm sorry I stayed out so late. I didn't mean," Raph began, immediately feeling guilty. Splinter's gaze darted towards him. He didn't look just worried. He looked afraid.

"Raphael, where is your brother?"

Raph frowned. "Which one? I haven't been here all night, sensei."

"Leonardo, where is Leonardo?"

Raph shrugged. "I thought he came home last night, Sensei. He tried getting me to come home and he chased me for a while, but then he stopped."

Raph thought it over. "He did call me, but he was trying to get me to come home."

Master Splinter stood up. "He has been missing since he went out to get you, Raphael. Get your brothers, we must begin searching immediately. I fear something may have happened to your brother."

Raph nodded and sprinted towards Mikey and Don's rooms. "Guys! Guys, wake up! Leo's missing!"

~.~.~.~.~

He taped my other arm back on. He's not alone. There are more of them. All of them are just as dark as him. He's the worst though. He always comes back and whispers new promises. New horrors. I don't know how much longer I can live like this, if it can be called living. I'm broken. They've broken me every way possible. I don't know much more I can take.

I'm lying on my shell now, tied down to a table. I know this table. This is the same table they used when they cut off my arms. What now? What will they take from me now? My legs? My life?

I almost wish they would. Take my life, that is. No. I hear him again. He's coming back.

The one with the green eyes. I hear his heavy footsteps and his excited breathing. He's not alone this time. My breathing quickens and I struggle. They've never done anything together. I don't want them to do anything together. I writhe in my bonds, but the leather is stronger than me now. I'm too weak. I haven't eaten anything more than canned dog food and the little water they leave me.

I see him now. His green eyes are bright with excitement. The others are here too. They approach me, he leads them.

"Hello, Leo. I missed you. Didn't you miss me?" He whispers as he lifts something that gleams in the darkness around us. I know it's something metal. Nothing ever gleams like that here.

He slams a hand on the table. I flinch and my breathing quickens.

"I asked a question. Answer me." He snaps. I made him angry. I don't know how. He never wants me to talk. Why now? I swallow but keep my mouth shut. He slaps me. "Answer me!"

I don't want to. I don't want to give in again. I gave him my vulnerability already, why does he keep doing this to me?

The others begin to whisper too and he grows even angrier. "Your brothers are here too. Do you want me to treat them like you, Leo?"

My brothers. No. No. No. They can't be here. I-I have to protect them. I have to keep them safe.

"No, please don't." I rasp weakly, speaking for the first time in a long time. He smiles. I can see his shiny white teeth.

"Did you miss me, Leo?"

"Yes." I say as I look away. He takes my chin in his grip and presses him mouth to mine. I give in completely, hoping he'll leave my brothers alone if I give him what he wants. I hear the rest of them moving and he pulls away. His green eyes are excited once more. He lifts the metal object again. Something clicks and then I hear the sound of a small motor running.

The others gasp and squeal happily. They're excited about something. I swallow.

He brings the object down. "Scream for me."

An electric carving blade tears through the flesh of my right upper arm. I gasp in pain and bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Blood fills my mouth even as it sprays from the new wound. He cuts and cuts, his excited gaze watches me, but I can't watch it anymore. I screw my eyes shut as the blade slips on bloody flesh.

Please, someone, help me. The pain. It's only getting worse. "Please stop."

"Please, stop!" I shout over the sound of the blade carving my flesh.

CRACK!

He broke through bone. The pain overloads all of my senses and I scream. I can't think, only scream. "Stop! Stop it!" I keep screaming. "Please stop! It hurts! IT HURTS!" I scream as tears stream freely down my face. I writhe in pain but it doesn't do anything but make things worse.

Then the blade hits the metal of the table with a squealing sound and a chunk of my already stunted arm falls on the floor with a meaty slap. I vomit on myself and begin dry heaving. Everything hurts so much. It's no surprise that the darkness takes me into the only place I'm safe: unconsciousness.

Only, I'm awake again instantly. I hear them all shuffling around excitedly. I close my eyes.

"Leo, look. Look or I will cut your eyelids off."

I do as I'm commanded and immediately regret it. He's licking the blood off of the piece of my arm that just got cut off. He takes a bite of it and I start dry heaving again. He passes it around to the others, and they feast on my flesh like some sort of cannibalistic cult.

But they're not cannibals, Leo, they're humans and you're a turtle. I know I'm a turtle. So why did I compare them to cannibals? Because you're stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid turtle. But obviously a delicious turtle. They won't stop eating you…me. They won't stop eating it.

"Do you want to try some, Leo?"

I stare in horror. Is he asking for me to eat my own flesh? He walks over, holding it out to me. He stops right in front of my face.

"Try it."

I keep my mouth pressed shut as he pushes it against my mouth. I screw my eyes shut and begin shaking. The smell of my own blood and severed flesh is making me sick. I can't eat my own flesh. I can't do this.

"I'll feed it to your brothers if you don't eat it."

That does it. That pushes me past the line. I don't want to. I can't. I can't do this. But I have to, or my brothers will pay for it. I slowly, hesitantly, open my mouth. He shoves it in.

"Bite."

Tears continue to stream down my face as I do as he commands. The taste of my own flesh sits horribly in my mouth. I want to vomit. I can't do this. He presses his hand flat over my mouth.

"Chew."

I cringe as I do so, knowing that this is a piece of my arm that I'm eating. I can feel the juices and blood flow from the flesh and I start to gag.

"Swallow."

I shake my head. I can't. I can't do this.

"Swallow." He commands more fiercely.

I refuse.

I hear him moving around.

"Swallow."

I shake my head.

A burning hot liquid burns across my cheek. I scream into his hand and I begin choking on my own flesh.

"Swallow."

More of that liquid falls on my cheek and I can hear my skin sizzling and boiling. I swallowed. My eyes fluttered open and he patted my unscathed cheek.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

"N-No." I sputter, watching his excited green gaze.

"I have another surprise for you, Leo."

I dread it. It's going to be another horrible thing. He lifts a vial of liquid. It has to be acid. That's what he used on my cheek.

"And such a shame, your eyes were so special."

I stiffen in horror and he pours it into my open eyes.

~.~.~.~.~

"Why can't we find him?" Mikey asked.

Raph glanced at him. "You know damn well why we can't find him. He's dead."

Don cringed at that. "You don't have to be so callous, Raph. And… and we might still find him, we just need to keep looking. Leo's too tough to be dead."

"Donnie, it's been three freakin' weeks! We're never going to find him at this rate!" Raph snarled back.

"Leo's not dead. He has to be alive. He wouldn't do that to us." Mikey whispered. Both of his brothers turned to look at him. Raph sighed.

"Alright, Mikey. We'll…We'll keep looking."

~.~.~.~.~

Meat. This is different. I'm so used to the other things. I haven't had this kind of food in a very long time. Not since before the night. That's what they call this place. The night. They tell me that the night keeps me prisoner. I belong to the night now.

They've cut me up more times than I can remember. My arms end at where my elbows used to be. My legs end at the knees. It's been different to adjust to having no eyes. Being blind keeps me in the night forever. I'll never leave this place now. I wish they had just killed me.

It took a lot of mental focus to not lose myself here. I almost went insane. If I ever get to the real world, I don't know if I'd be sane there. This place has taken too much from me.

I'm laying on my plastron, using the forearms they left taped to my arms to scoop the food into my mouth. I've dropped so low. I like to think that the meat they're feeding me is store bought. I know it's not. They're feeding me my own flesh, and I'm desperate enough to eat it. I'm so sick of myself.

They keep using my body for their… needs. It's been so long that I've grown used to it. It will never end. Not even in death. The tortures have been on and off, here and there. It's randomized. They've used my body so roughly that nearly every bone in my body has been broken. I'm nothing like the way I was. My brothers would never recognize me now. Not only is body broken, but my spirit is dead. I'm hollow.

What would Captain Ryan do? I laughed. He'd have shot himself. He'd have shot himself a long time ago. The only reason I haven't choked myself to death is because of my brothers. They said that they'll hurt them if I leave. I don't want that to happen. They can't go through this. Not ever.

But it wouldn't hurt, if I could let myself be selfish. I want to leave. I've always wanted to leave since the night took me. I just don't have that liberty. I lay my head flat and relax as I slip into unconsciousness.

I awake. My eyes don't open. I don't have them anymore. I'm blind. I can hear him though. He's excited again. He's going to cut me again. Carve something off of my body to eat.

"Tell me you want to stay with me forever." He whispers.

I don't hesitate anymore. "I do."

"Why? Do you love me? Do you love the things I do to you?"

"Yes." I say and he presses his mouth to mine, slipping his tongue in. I let him do what he wants now. Long ago, I would have bit his tongue off. He pulls away and hums something.

"And such a shame, your voice was so special."

He opens my mouth and grabs hold of my tongue while he cuts at it with a knife. The pain isn't as bad as it should have been. I'm used to it now. It still hurts. It hurts horribly, but it could always be worse. He rips the rest of it out with a tearing sound and blood fills my mouth, streaming from the corners of my lips and onto the table. I wonder, briefly, if he'll run out of things to cut off before I finally die.

~.~.~.~.~

I hear voices. Loud. Scared. Angry. Worried. Hopeful. They sound familiar, but it's been so long that I wouldn't know it. I'm sitting with my shell to the rotten wall, my head hanging. My arms and legs reduced to useless stumps. My eyes gone, nothing but burned out sockets. My mouth forever bloody. My tongue gone, my voice never to be heard again. When will I die?

The voices draw closer and I can hear the sound of fighting. Fighting. I used to do that, didn't I? I was graceful and I was good at it too. I hear him. He's drawing closer. He's in front of me, panting. A cruel smile curves my lips. He's afraid.

I smell the coppery scent of blood. He's dying. Good. Serves him right for what he did to me and what he would have done to my brothers. But I hear him laughing.

"Your brothers are here. They plan on taking you back. Now that's a joke!"

He's right. It is a joke. They wouldn't even recognize me beyond my shell. I'd actually rather die than have them see what I am now.

"But you know what? Let them take you. Let them keep your useless filth and look at how much they failed every time they see you."

That hurt. That did hurt to think about. I don't want my brothers to think that. I don't want them to be forever filled with guilt.

He gave a strangled croak and went silent. I listened but hear nothing more. He's dead. If only he'd killed me when he had the chance.

"Leo? Leo, are you here?" A small voice calls out. I keep still. Maybe if he can't find me… Maybe I'll die and they won't ever find out. They'll think I went missing for good.

"Leo? Please answer me." Mikey's voice continues. He was closer now.

He's going to find me. I know it. Sure enough, I heard his gasp of disbelief and his unearthly scream of horror upon seeing me. He probably thinks I'm dead.

He runs forward, I can hear his feet slapping against the rotten wooden floor. He drops in front of me and grabs hold of my shoulders. "Leo? No. No. Leo…" He whispers in disbelief.

He pulls me into a hug and I don't fight back. "Leo are you…?" He whispers. I shake my head. I can feel the tears that stream from his eyes and the sobs that rock him. I hear two more sets of footsteps and two strangled cries of horror.

After the hugging and the crying and the apologies, they watch me. And I take the opportunity to say the thing that has been on my mind all of this time.

"Please…kill…me…" I mouth.

But they never did. They never will. I will always be the night's prisoner. The darkness around me is forever constant.

And I do fear the night.

~.~.~.~.~

Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself.

-Night

A/N: Please review.