They had been waiting for two hours when the nightmare started.

At the edge of April's vision, a shadow moved.

An arm snapped forward with unbelievable speed, wrapping a hand around her mouth, and another arm around her torso before she had time to react. Her blue eyes were wide and she let out a muffled scream, struggling vehemently against iron strength to no avail.

Spike was fast, but not fast enough. She grabbed at the arm around April's torso, yanking with all of her considerable might, aiming a nasty roundhouse punch at the hand with her other hand.

Clang!

Spike's fist bounced off what sounded like a solid wall of steel. April began to feel herself being pulled away and she increased her struggling, panicking and feeling her heart in her throat, sweating and yanking.

There was only a flicker of fear in Spike's eyes, mostly grim anger and ferocity as Spike lunged again, attempting to aim a kick at the attacker's legs around April's own.

April couldn't speak, only grunt to warn Spike as a second figure, clad in black robes from head to foot, stepped from an alley, raising a hand.

Spike was still attempting to fight April's attacker whilst avoiding using what was surely a bruised right hand when the blow to the neck came, and the animalistic rage on her face dissolved as she slumped, unconscious.

April tried to scream again just before black swallowed her vision, and she fell a long, long way, into unconsciousness.

~Turtle Tracks~

Spike had risen to her knees and was looking at April from behind the Shredder. Her right cheek was sliced open, two huge gashes opened up as though she'd been attacked by claws. Blood stained her shirt, and her lip was split and bruised, but her gaze was level and clear.

Shredder's hand wrapped around April's slim wrist and yanked her to her feet. "Come with me."

April recoiled.

Spike rose to one knee, grimacing, starting to haul herself to her feet.

Got to stand, got to fight. April needs me.

The hand reached for Spike's wrist, as she sluggishly tried to pull back.

April's white boots slid on the bloody floor, staining them. Spike's combat boots drug the ground. Shredder marched through a doorway, easily dragging April's slim form, timidly allowing herself to be drug, pulling Spike with moderately more difficulty, the heavier form offering tired resistance.

"It is only fair that you see what will happen to you within hours," the Shredder said conversationally. "You will watch the procedure."

The adjacent room was chrome as well, full of cabinets and tables, capsules, equipment, and other oddities.

A chill ran up April's spine. Just like a horror movie.

~Turtle Tracks~

Crack!

Spike awoke abruptly as her head made contact with a hard, cold floor into a spacious, white room. On the far side of the room, at the top of steps mounted into a platform, sat an enormous computer system. Buttons flashed, information feeding into each computer bank, and at the center of it all, a large chair with its back to them faced it all.

"Master Shredder, we brought the captives."

The voice was mechanical, the form it came from stiff, covered in cloth from head to foot, in a costume that looked as though it belonged in a martial arts movie.

There were ninjas in New York.

~Turtle Tracks~

April witnessed entry of three figures: Two of the mechanically moving ninjas on either side of a man, dragging him forward as he kicked and struggled. He was a short, brutish appearing being, with heavy features and muscular arms. He would have been a threatening man, had his eyes not been wide with fear.

They were followed by another trio: another two ninja, restraining a tall, wiry looking man with a Mohawk, with a scar up his cheek, hard looking and tough. He too, was afraid, April knew, but stoic in the face of danger.

Shredder's grip on April's wrist released, and April pulled free as Spike staggered, dizzy from blood loss, both women staring wordlessly, nervously as each of the men were wrestled into what appeared to be a dentist's chair, above which shone a bright light. Beside each seat stood a table laden with many instruments. Attached to each chair were a set of restraints that were immediately used to restrict each man's movements.

And after their turn, April thought anxiously. We're next.

Each pair of ninja stepped back respectfully as the Shredder moved forward, great cape sweeping grandly.

"Stand back, and watch as I demonstrate to you the power of mutagen," the masked ninja said impressively.

April pressed her back against the wall, eyeing the exit door, trying to think of a method of escape. She couldn't outrun the Shredder. Who knew how many ninja were throughout the building they were in?

And she didn't know the way out.

On top of that, Spike's insane urge to throw herself into danger, especially in her condition, would mean death for her, and April, despite being not the bravest of souls, was no deserter.

The situation, April thought as Shredder picked up a vial of liquid and prepared a needle for the two squirming men, was hopeless. There was no rescue in sight.

Thanks so much for reading, everybody! It's been a while. :) Please, let me know what you think in a review, I love hearing from you guys. I'll see everybody in the next chapter.