A/N: This is my second attempt at a multi-chapter story. I don't know if this will go anywhere, but it's been asking to be written.
Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT.
The lab was dead silent. The only thing that could be heard was the rapid, panicked breathing like someone was quickly running out of air.
"Donny!"
"Be quiet, Mikey."
"Donny!"
"Keep quiet, Mikey."
"But..."
"Do you want to die a horrible death? If not, be quiet."
Michelangelo whimpered and shrank back against a lab table. Donatello went back to examining the bomb that held his life and his brother's life in its cold grasp. If he could just get the chains off, then they would be able to get free and away from the explosive without ever having to actually touch it.
"We're going to die."
"Can it, Mike. We're not going to die," Donatello snapped.
"How did Bishop get his hands on an Utrom techno-organic bomb anyway?" Michelangelo asked.
"Bishop's full of all sorts of surprises, Mike," Donatello muttered.
He rummaged through the drawers looking for something to cut the chains.
"Where's Leo or Raph when you need them?" he muttered under his breath.
"Probably fighting for their lives the old fashioned way," Michelangelo answered.
"I wasn't looking for an answer," Donatello told his brother.
His fingers brushed up against a scalpel. A shiver ran down his spine. Leave it to Bishop to lock mutant turtles in a disection lab with a bomb strapped to them.
Donatello fumbled around the drawer and found a pair of chain cutters. His heart leaped for joy. He pulled out the cutters and began to work at figuring out how to work them with just one hand. Unfortunately for him, he was right handed, and his right hand had been strapped to the bomb for "safe keeping" as he vaguely remembered Bishop saying before he left the brothers to fend for themselves. Donatello also remembered Bishop saying that if anyone of them should try to pull their hands free, it would cut the time they had left down by fifteen minutes.
"At least Bishop had mercy on us and gave us an hour to live," the purple banded turtle thought as he fought to work the cutters.
They had half hour left, but Donatello didn't want to waste any time in getting him and Michelangelo out of the room before the bomb went off.
"Mike, could you help with these?"
"Sure thing."
With Michelangelo's help, the chain cutters were ready for use. Donatello tested them a couple of times before setting to work at the clasp that bound his brother's wrist.
"Mikey, if we ever make it out of here alive, remind me to learn how to use my left hand more."
Despite the seriousness and desperation in his brother's voice, Michelangelo smiled. He knew Donatello favoured his right hand a lot more than his left, and it was somewhat humorous to see his brainy older brother struggle to do something as simple as cut a chain.
"Need any help?" the orange clad ninja offered.
"Please," Donatello moaned.
Michelangelo took hold of one handle as Donatello took the other.
"On three."
Michelangelo gave a quick nod.
"One...two...three."
There was a loud "crack" and the clamp broke in two. Michelangelo rubbed his wrist and sighed in relief.
"Alrighty, Donny-boy, you next."
He took the chain cutters and worked them over the clamp that held his brother's wrist to the bomb.
"Mikey, you're...ah!"
Donatello's arm jerked when the cutters clamped down on his fingers. The time rapidly went down on the screen.
"Great job, Don," Michelangelo scowled. "Now we only have nineteen minutes left."
"Plenty of time for you to cut this blasted piece of metal," Donatello growled.
There was a bang on the lab door.
"Don? Mike? You two in there?"
"Raph!" Michelangelo and Donatello cried for joy.
"Don!" the youngest of the two screamed.
In his excitement, Donatello had pulled his arm up again.
"Four minutes 'till we're toast," Michelangelo said.
They heard the "click" of the lock opening. Raphael burst into the room. He ran over to where his younger brothers sat.
"What happened?"
"Bishop lured us in here, knocked us out and tied us to this thing," Michelangelo quickly explained. "And each time one of us tried to pull our hands free the time would go down."
"I hope that wasn't caused by you, Mike," Raphael said, pointing to the screen which now read four minutes and fifteen seconds.
"No. We were doing fine until big brained Donny here yanked his arm," Michelangelo replied.
"The first time you brought the chain cutters down on my fingers!" Donatello yelled.
"First time? You mean to tell me you had nineteen minutes to get free and you pulled it down to four?" Raphael asked.
"I'm not in the mood to be lectured by you, Raph. Just get me out of this thing!" Donatello ordered.
Raphael pulled out one of his sais and began to work at picking the small lock. It didn't help his nerves that the bomb continued to remind him that he only a limited amount of time. Finally, he heard the satisfying "click", and the clamp opened. Donatello pulled away from the explosive and rubbed his wrist.
"Let's get out of here," Raphael said.
The brothers made their way to the door.
"Where's Leo?" Michelangelo asked.
"Fighting Bishop," Raphael answered.
The siblings heard a rapid beeping sound coming from the lab which they had just escaped. It was followed by a loud explosion.
"At least Bishop doesn't have to worry about cleaning that lab now," Michelangelo commented.
The base shook violently.
"Looks like your three brothers short, Leonardo."
Leonardo swung his katanas at Bishop's head. The agent ducked out of the way and slammed his elbow into Leonardo's neck. The ninja fell to the floor. He rubbed his neck as a shadow fell over him. Leonardo swallowed and slowly looked over his shoulder. Bishop stood over him with a strange looking pistol pointed down at him.
"I believe this dosage will prove to be useful," Bishop said. He removed the safety.
Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the familiar pain that followed a gun shot. Instead, his ears were met with a "clang" of metal on metal.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you about playing with guns?"
Leonardo's eyes shot open.
"Mikey?"
He looked up. His brothers jumped down out of the shadows.
"Drop the gun and step away from Leo," Raphael instructed. "Unless you want to be reacquainted with my sais."
Bishop made to drop the gun, but instead shot at the three turtles.
"Split!" Raphael yelled.
The siblings split into different directions. Donatello felt air rush past his head as the bullet flew by.
"That was too close for comfort," he thought.
"Heads up!" Michelangelo yelled.
The pistol went sailing through the air. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael were facing off against Bishop, so Donatello had some time to examine the pistol.
"Interesting."
Bishop sent Raphael flying into a lab table. Test tubes and beakers fell over, drenching the poor ninja in slimy liquid.
"Ugh!" he growled in disgust.
Bishop, seeing an opening, pulled out another pistol and shot. Donatello only had time to register the sound. He had no time to move, but he did so anyway.
"Donny! Move!"
Donatello was shoved forward. He heard a grunt and the sound of someone falling. The purple clad turtle turned around to see who had taken the bullet for him. Raphael was kneeling on the floor, hunched over and gripping his side. He was curled in a ball and trying desperately to stop the bleeding. Donatello quickly crawled over to his brother.
"Raph?" he whispered.
Raphael grunted in response.
"Bishop's getting away!" Michelangelo called.
"Leave him," Leonardo said, running over to his fallen sibling.
Raphael's breathing was shallow and laboured. He kept his hands pressed hard against his right side.
"Raph, look at me," Donatello instructed. "Raphie. I need you to look at me."
Raphael struggled to look up. Donatello flinched. He had never seen so much hurt and fear in his hero's eyes before.
"You...all right...Don?"
Donatello could only nod. Raphael nodded back.
"That's...what matters," he whispered.
His head hung and he sighed.
"Raphie," Michelangelo whimpered.
Donatello caught Raphael as his limp body fell forward. He searched for a pulse. He prayed a silent "thank you" when he felt the slow, but steady beat of a life giving pulse.
"We have to get Raph home, as quickly as possible," Leonardo said.
"Right now, I don't think that's going to be a problem," Michelangelo commented.
What do you think?
Reviews are greatly welcomed. But no flames. And if you see me slip in a person's character, please notify me via review.