Hostage
By Venka Le Fay
I don't own TMNT or any of it's incarnations. I have nothing to gain financially by writing this fic, it is only for my personal enjoyment and for the enjoyment of TMNT fans everywhere.
Leo yawned and opened his eyes. He had this overwhelming feeling of unease, but he couldn't place it. Glancing at the other side of the room, he wasn't surprised to find his younger brothers tatami mat neatly made, but un-slept in. That only meant one thing; Donnie was in probably in his lab. The older turtle huffed an annoyed sigh as he sat up and tied on his eye mask. As much as he didn't mind the quiet and seclusion, sometimes he just felt for all the time Donatello spent in his lab, he may as well move into it.
"What's the point of having a room mate, if the person sharing the room doesn't even live there?" Leo grumbled as he got up. The lair was filled with an odd quiet, one door down he could hear Raph snoring like a chainsaw. Which was accompanied with the sound of Mikey burbling in his sleep.
"Mmmmm," Mikey sighed as he rolled over, "I love this world, of pizza. And I can have any pizza I want…um yum a teriyaki chicken and barbeque pizza tree. A shrimp and sardine pizza bush…Pepperoni flowers."
April slept in the room on the other side of Leo and Donnie's room. She had adjusted into her new living space quite well. After she had agreed to staying with them, She had requested that she be able to return to her apartment so she could pack and inform her aunt that she would be staying with friends from that point on. They reluctantly allowed this because they didn't want to have any missing persons reports filed on her while she was taking up residence in the city's sewer system. And they didn't want the Kraag or the Foot clan paying her Aunt any unexpected visits.
April's school was a little easier to convince, as she had been informing her friends at school that her father was visiting Europe. So it was a little matter of Donatello hacking into April's fathers, personal email address. And sending an emailing a note to school informing that her continued absence was due to her father wanting her to join her in Ireland for the remainder of the school year.
Ever since she had moved in the four brother had been going out of their way to make her feel welcome, but let her have her space since this was a huge change for her. It truth it was as awkward for them as it was for her. Living is a house hold of five guys for 15 years, they had no idea of how a girl really behaved, or lived. All they really knew for certain about females was that they were different. Mikey had made the mistake of running into April's room the first morning April woke up in their lair. Which resulted in a huge commotion that nearly ended in the other three brothers getting a good look at April in nothing but her undergarments. Raph was naturally the only one who found any amusement in the situation.
Leo was nice enough to make it up to her by bringing her breakfast. And Donatello being the well meaning though easily flustered guy that he was, offered accommodations such as setting up a private shower area for her to installing a security system. April naturally appreciated the gesture, but had declined by saying she was a guest in their lair and she wanted to interrupt their lives as little as possible.
Walking to through the lairs common area to the closed metal double doors that served as Donnie's lab. Even though the door was closed, it was oddly silent in the other room. Even this late into the night, there was usually the sound of the purple masked turtle welding or softly muttering to himself.
"Donnie?" Leo called out to the closed door and received no response. This wasn't unusual since that meant that Donnie was too focused on what he was doing to hear his brother. Or he had passed out due to the lack of sleep. "Donnie, I'm coming in."
Pushing open the doors, he didn't find the purple masked turtle anywhere. The only person in the room was none other than April O'Neal. The human girl was sitting at Donatello's desk quietly typing out some notes and calculations that were (as Leo recognized them) in Donatello's handwriting. The red head paused what she was doing and looked up at Leo with a kind smile. Leo smiled back, even though April never felt like more than a friend to him. He could see and understand what Donatello saw in her and why he had fallen in love with her. She had a warm personality and could see the best in people, and also a calculating mind that tried to meet every challenge it was set upon.
"Looking for Donatello?" April asked.
"Yeah," Leo answered as he glanced around the large room.
"He went out." April answered.
"Alone?" Leo asked in concern.
"He said something about finding something at the military waste yard that could help with the Shellraiser." April answered, but she had an odd note of worry in her voice. "He should be back soon, or at least that's what he said."
"The Military Waste yard is 15 minutes away on foot." Leo thought aloud. "How long ago did he leave?"
"About an hour ago." April answered.
Donnie laughed to himself in glee as he found the object he was looking for. The object was a small device about the size and shape of a baseball games base plate.
"With this, we'd be able control the "Shellraiser" with a remote control." Donnie eagerly reached out to gather up his prize and return home. A storm was brewing overhead, and he didn't like the looks of it one bit. The sooner he was underground the better. That's when he suddenly paused when he felt a threatening presence around him. Grabbing his Bo staff, he scanned his surroundings holding himself at the ready. His hand itched to reach for his T-phone, knowing that by doing so it would result in a lecture from Splinter if not Leo about the dangers of going off alone.
However he was in danger, he knew and he had to get back to the lair without leading the enemy home. If a dressing down was the worst of it, he's be a happy camper. But calling for his family was exactly what his opponents wanted, they wanted him to be distracted and let his guard down. He winced in fright as lightning crashed overhead and the roar of thunder shook the sky. While the building storm over head lit the sky he was greeted by the sight of at least a dozen foot clan ninja's maybe more. All of them poised to strike. Donatello's mahogany brown eyes a widened as a familiar gravelly voice came from a mound of military refuse behind him.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Dogpound snarled. "It seems we found a little lost turtle."
"You'd be wise to surrender boy," The slithering voice of Fishface added as the mutant fish slipped from behind another heap. "It'll make it easier to find your master, and brothers. That way you can all die one happy family."
"Not while I'm alive!" Donnie declared defiantly.
"You've got guts, kid." Dogpound barked a laugh. "Unfortunately for you, our master is very persuasive when it comes to getting what he wants. Foot ninja, attack!"
The small army of foot leaped into the air and descended upon the loan teenage turtle. Donnie swatted away several Foot ninja, before running for it. He hand grabbing hold of his phone, he had to contact his brothers or April. The rain was beginning to fall making the phone slippery in his grasp and the refuse beneath him just as slick. His hand pressed April's number on speed dial, when he heard pounding foot steps behind him. A large hand with armored spikes enclosed around his waist and hoisted him into the air, his T-phone slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground among the refuse.
"Looks like your luck just ran out" Dogpound growled.
"Have a chew toy, you half-baked mut!" Donatello yelled as he grabbed his bow staff in both his hands and thrust it into Dogpound's mouth. Dogpound was surprised enough to loosen his grip on Donatello. Using his advantage the teen rokushubo master squirmed out of Dogpound's grasp and leaping over the mutant dogs head. Dogpound bucked and thrashed trying to rid his jaws of the offending wooden bit while its wielder held on with all his might. A sudden burst of light from overhead and a large peel of thunder caused Donatello to tense and lose focus of his grip on Dogpound. Fishface took advantage of this using his cyber-tronic legs he knocked the hapless ninja off Dogpound's back.
Donatello flew backward his head meeting the side of a broken down military jeep with a sickening crack. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Fishface grinning toothily at him before he landed a hard kick to the side of the turtles's head.
Dogpound removed the bo staff from his mouth, snapping it in two as he tossed it away among the refuse. "I didn't need your help." He snarled at the fish. Several Foot Ninja came up to them began to truss the unconscious turtle.
"Who said I was helping?" Fishface sneered "You looked like you were doing a great job letting the turtle ride you around like an ugly, oversized, furry horse. "
"I nearly had 'em." Dogpound growled.
"We have the turtle," Fishface hissed. "Let's get him to Shredder before he wakes up…and before his brothers come looking for him."
"Guys wake up." Leo yelled as he rushed into Raph and Mikey's room.
"A little more pizza…anchovies and olives please." Mikey muttered in his sleep.
"Raph, Mikey" Leo yelled louder. Raph grunted one last snore before opening one annoyed green eye and glaring straight at his older brother and leader.
"This better be important, Leo." Raph growled.
"It's Donnie, he's missing." Leo answered with some concern. Raph rolled his eyes.
"Is that all?" Raph snorted as if this was beyond all concern. "The dork probably got himself lost in the tunnels again."
"According to April, he went to the military junk yard an hour ago and hasn't returned." Leo responded.
"When did you become Donnie's mother?" Raph snidely joked with a yawn. "He goes that junk yard all the time. Probably saw some other things he thought he could use for all those contraptions he makes that, get this… don't work."
"This is serious Raph, he could be in danger." Leo shouted.
"Leo" Raph groaned tiredly as he sat up on his tatami mat. "You know as well as I do...Donnie is a big boy and can handle himself. Heck, if anyone did try to attack, he'd probably bore them to death with one of his talks about things no one gives a flip about. Now Mikey on the other hand, he can't go anywhere without a baby sitter because he's got a big old neon sign that just shouts "Come, Beat Me!"
"What is going on?" Leo cringed and looked up into gentle but stern face of Master Splinter.
"Hero boy, over here woke me up to tell me that Donnie went awal." Raph answered flippantly.
"Donnie's missing?!" Mikey suddenly woke up surprised. Splinter's eyes seem to harden with anger a second, but just as quickly softened to concern and fear.
"Tell me everything!" Splinter answered demanded. Reluctantly Leo filled in everyone from the moment he woke up to the moment he learned Donatello was missing. Splinter's eyes closed as though he was trying to settle something in himself, processing all that he had heard.
"Have you tried contacting your brother?" Splinter calmly said after a moment.
"I have," Leo answered. "And it meets with no response."
"We have captured one of the turtles." Fishface smirked as Dogpound threw the unconscious turtle before the dais that held Shredder's throne. The captured Kraang that sat chained in a corner of the room eyed the turtle with a gleam of triumph.
"I see…" The Shredder answered as he got up. Retracting his blades as he descended the stairs. Stopping to inspect the unconscious turtle at his feet he used the blades he tilted up Donatello's head, exposing the young ninja's throat. "This is the one known as Donatello. I want you to leave his corpse where you found him. Let him be a message to the turtles and to Hamato Yoshi of what is in store."
"Wait father." Karai answered as she stepped forward from where she had been standing beside her father's throne. "I believe this one is sweet on that O'Neal girl. Perhaps his brothers will be willing to trade Hamato Yoshi and the girl to us, in exchange for their brother's safe return. Or O'Neal could willingly surrender herself to us."
"The one known as Karai, makes that which is known as a good point." The captured Kraang answered. "The ones known as the Turtles have a connection that is what is known a brotherly. And the one known as April O'Neal was rescued from Kraang by the turtle you call Donatello. It is possible that they do share the emotion that is known as love."
"And eventually those filthy turtles will come looking for their brother." Fishface smirked. "Or to avenge his death." Shedder glared down at the unconscious turtle a moment, tilting his head in consideration.
"Very well…" He answered as he reached down and ripped the purple eye mask from Donatello's face. "Inform Leonardo and his brothers that they have 24 hours to surrender Hamato Yoshi and the girl' April O'neal to us if they want to see their brother alive again. Should the turtles come looking for him, I want fail safe measures put in place. In the meantime, I'll convince this one to tell me where their hiding place is located."