Agony.
That's all he felt, with each step a new type of pain presented itself, coursing through his body. Each step causing him to pause for breaths, making the journey seem impossible. He had no recreation of how he got into this state, nor did he want to. He remembered everything was fine; he was out on patrol with his brothers. Mikey was doing flips and jumps that he would fumble in the usual idiotic fashion, he remembered Leo giving commands, advice and scolding Mikey when he performed a dangerous stunt. Raph was telling Leo to lighten up, let them have a chance to have fun before they were cooped in the lair again with master splinter. Master splinter… would he ever see him again, would he ever see any of them again? There were so many things that he wanted to do or see, and now the chance of these things were being torn away from him as he despairingly continued his journey. The one memory that kept replaying in his mind was the one event that may have caused this fate for his life to end.
The ambush.
"Come on guys, you're too slow!"
Shaking his head Donatello increased his pace to keep up with the shrinking shadow that was his little brother. He and his brothers were playing a game of ninja tag; as usual Mikey was persistent to keep just out of their reach and kept spurring them on with mockery.
To his upper right was Raphael, a grim smile plastered on his face. One could only imagine the threats passing through his mind.
Further up to Don's left was Leonardo, barely breaking a sweat, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with balanced ease.
He followed swiftly, his legs slightly burning. It wasn't quite painful, it was just there. It was a good burn, it meant that oxygen was reaching his muscles and they expanded and contracted. He didn't want to push himself, to prevent scarring of his Soleus and Gastrocnemius muscles. So he comfortably kept his pace, full aware that eventually he'd fall behind. That was ok, while his brothers sped on with blurring speed; they were missing the things around them. They would fail to notice the people below at the coffee shop enjoying their drinks and other's company, they failed to notice the crying child who was being comforted by the loving parents, and they'd miss the trick shots of the players in the basketball courts. But who would want to miss these things? Certainly not him, these factors were part of life and he wanted to experience them himself even if he couldn't be there first hand, at least he could be there even in the background.
"Oomph"
Lost in thought Donatello failed to notice his brothers had stopped until he ran into Raph's shell, face first. Rubbing his sore beak, Don turned his head in a questioning way as if to say "what's up?" Half turning Raph put a finger to his lips signaling silence as he pointed to the alley below them. A robbery was taking place. Several PD's were transferring goods from the nearby jewelry store to a van parked outside. Waiting for the signal to attack Don drew his bo-staff in anticipation. But now as he looked back, if he knew what would happen after he and his brothers ventured into his alley he would have told them to run and never look back.
The odds seemed fair and easy, and it was, until they showed up.
Unfortunately neither he nor his brothers had thought to check if the PD's had friends still in the bank. Apparently they did and a lot of them. Some of them appeared to be human at first glance, but when you noticed the greyish hue to their skin you knew they weren't, Or at least not anymore.
The rest consisted of different races ranging to some resembling triceratons to these feline creatures that walked on two legs like a normal person. They looked to be kin of their leader, Sheila. He remembered her quite well. The stench of death and decay rolled off her in waves, she was half feline and half human. Dark leather wings sprouted from her back. In the moonlight he could easily see the veins and scars that covered the taunt leather skin. Black fur covered the rest of her body, the fur strands ended in a mist that gave the illusion that even light bent to her will.
Her eyes were a deep red, but from afar they appeared to not even exist, they appeared to be empty eye sockets. Her voice, how horrible it was, was seducing yet revolting at the same time. It was like cigarettes, appealing to the smoker yet the smoke is vile to a passing by stranger.
When she had sauntered over to them, the stench became unbearable. Donatello tried to move but found that he could not. He felt like his body had become a statue; it was only when she passed him, sliding her claws down his shell that he moved. The chill of her touch had caused a shiver to pass down his spine, and his body shook violently if only for a second, while the chill lingered a moment longer. She smiled at this, a cruel smile, enjoying-savoring his moment of discomfort.
"So these are the famous turtles that I have heard so much about" she sneered, letting the words roll off her tongue in distaste.
"Who are you?" Don turned to find that it was Leo who was first to find his voice back. "Me? Why I'm Sheila, mistress of the shadows" she took a dramatic bow.
Mikey glanced his way with a confused look. Her head snapped up with an audible click as she stared intently at Michelangelo. "You think I'm odd don't you?" Mikey opened his mouth to respond but was cut off as he was knocked off his feet.
Sheila had pushed him using sheer will power. "Now look what you made me do!" Before they could do anything she had jumped down right in front of Mikey and reached for him…
A jolt of pain brought him back to the present as it shot from his inner thighs. He let out a gasp as he doubled over in pain. the darkness around his vision increased as he tried to slow his breathing. He closed his eyes as another wave of pain spread through his body and it caused his body to quake with the effort of not collapsing.
When the wave passed, he was left with a cold sweat and his arms shaking from the strain of keeping his upper half off the rooftop. His legs were splayed out behind him, they became usless and served no other purpose but to add on to his dead weight. The fingers of Numbness waltzed down his calves, the nails leaving prints behind that tingled with each movement.
The cold air whipped the purple cloth of his bandana tails into his face, the tips wet with his blood.
He knew that if he didnt reach April's soon he would not make it alive.
Warm tears ran down his cheeks and reached his lips. the saltyness filling his mouth as he licked them off. He made an attempt to stand. The task would seem easy, but proved painful. Openeing the beginning of scabs, letting more blood to flow. Clenching his teeth he Heaved himself onto his feet, wobbling for a second, but still standing. He steadied himself and he willed the darkness around his line of vision away.
Everything, else was fuzzy; the fighting, being captured, the his memory went blank, as if protecting itself. those memories he could not reach must of been of what caused him to be within inches of deaths door.
He shuffled his way in the directions of April's store.