For minutes the only thing that I heard was the heavy breathing coming from my younger brother, heaving and spluttering after the man left us alone and there wasn't anything I could do to comfort him. Tears were on his cheeks but no new ones were added after a while, the tears still lingering however.
Slowly his breathing evened out, still looking away from me. He coughed slightly, his chains rattling at the movement.
"I'm okay" He breathes out after composing himself for a few moments and I feel tears jump in my eyes at the sentence, and I refused to admit them as anything but angry tears. "You can't say anything can you?" He asks me but I stay silent, not able to say anything with the gag still in my mouth.
There's a short silence and Mikey chuckles softly.
"You think they did it on purpose?" Mikey asks and I just look at him, his face slightly pained still. He scowls slightly. "I can't see you and you can't talk" Mikey takes a deep breath, shuddering slightly and I know he's close to crying, but he's holding himself back. He's trying to put on a brave face.
I just wish he wouldn't.
"You don't mind me talking don't you?" Mikey chuckles at the sentence but I shake my head despite him not being able to see me. I didn't mind, it comforted me in a way, in a way I should be comforting him.
"You think Raph and Don are looking for us?" Mikey asks after a while and I struggle slightly to let him hear something. "Of course they are" Mikey chuckles weakly again, laughter not genuine in his voice. He frowns slightly at the sound of the chains, thinking for a moment.
"Hey you've seen that Criminal Minds episode?" He asks rather slowly. "I don't remember how but he couldn't move or talk, just blink. So they invented this system where one blink was yes, and two was not.. maybe we can use it now?"
I look up at the chains, rattling them slightly and sound resonating through the small room. A small smile crossed Mikey's face. "Something like that, do that again." I follow his order, giving a slight pull at the chain. "One pull for yes and two for no?"
I pull at my chain one time and he smiles.
"Hey Leo"
TMNT
We talked, as far as you could call it talking before we stopped for a moment after that, Mikey eventually falling silent after the basically one-sided conversation we were having.
I think the pain was getting to him as he kept grimacing in pain. Red spots were appearing on his body, which would soon turn into nasty bruises, but for now, the list of injuries wasn't too bad, and that realisation only made the situation harder, made me realise it would only get worse. They wanted me to hurt.
And they were right by assuming this would hurt me more than any injury they could've given me.
I immediately jerked upwards when the door opened and two men walked in.
I didn't recognise them but one looked painfully similar to the man we just saw, almost if they were…. brothers. My eyes widen, this was his brother. This was the brother of the other, whose ankle I broke. They immediately walked over to Mikey and I started rattling my chains, hoping to make myself known to Mikey.
"Hello again Michelangelo" I shivered heavily as the man spoke his name, it felt wrong, just plain wrong. Mikey visibly tensed as well, muscles rigid and teeth clenched.
"Take him down" The man, brother of the other apparently, ordered and the other complied, taking out his key and opening the cuffs. I wince, rattling my chains again as one cuff was opened and Mikey was left hanging from one chain, one wrist bearing his entire weight.
"Ngghhh" he groaned in pain but the two men didn't care, undoing the other cuff with no real hurry or care for the pain Mikey was in. Immediately after the last cuff was removed Mikey fell to the ground, groaning again but two hands grabbed his wrists, hosting him up and dragging him away.
I scream through my gag, willing Mikey to hear me, rattling my chains as hard as I could. Mikey jerks in the hold, face towards the sound I was making.
"I'll be okay!" He screams, twisting but unable to escape the hold they had on him. I screamed again but no sound could get past the gag and before I knew it, the door was slammed shut and Mikey was gone.
My littlest brother was gone.
TMNT
It wasn't long before the two carrying me opened another door, throwing me inside. I groan, feeling my shell collide with something hard. I glance backwards, but the only thing that I saw was the darkness from the blindfold. I was sitting on something different however, a grate.
"Hey!" I protest as I feel two hands around my wrists, pulling them together behind me and to the ground. Chains were heard and before I knew it a click, immobilising me and binding my wrists to the grate.
Then my mask was ripped it and I shivered heavily, feeling naked and vulnerable, more than when I had my mask on. The mask was our strength, our tough front, even without my ability to see… it didn't matter, we were ninja's after all. We were trained to continue fighting when we couldn't see anything.
It's why we could fight in the dark, through the smoke, and why I wasn't bothered too much by being blinded.
"So what now?" I glare at the two man standing in front of me, studying them. The two guys were standing in front of me, one looking really similar, like I should've known this guy, but I couldn't remember from what. The older was a bit larger, but still obviously Asian.
"Feisty you" The latter snickered. "I thought you'd be the comic relief" I glare again at the man.
"Only for the ones with humour" I retort, the hand of the man connecting with my cheek before I could process what was happening. My head snapped to the side and I spat out some blood.
"Don't think you're getting a free pass cause we want to hurt your brother" The same man growled.
"Because hurting me hurts Leo more than if you were to hurt him" I deduct grimly. Shivering at the thought, and at the same time relieved, relieved to know that Leo wouldn't be touched, that they wouldn't hurt me because hurting me would hurt him more. Oh the irony.
"Exactly" The other chirps almost. "He will pay for everything he has done, breaking my ankle" My eyes widen and I suddenly slap myself for not recognising him, this was the older brother of the one who… basically beat me up just hours ago. They were brothers. So that was what this is all about, revenge.
"So this is all some revenge plan of the foot for getting fired?" I cock my head to the side.
"Amongst other reasons" The look-a-like brother shrugged. "But most importantly you hurting us, them, Takashi.."
"Them? Takashi?" I question softly.
"We weren't the only one who are mad at you freak" The man hissed. "There are others who would jump at the opportunity to hurt you, but me, him, my brother Takashi, we are the only one to act upon it"
"So you're Takashi's older brother, Leo broke your ankle that night" I gasp as his hand slaps my cheek again and I growl lowly in my throat, feeling my cheek burn and sting at the contact.
"The name's Isamu, and that over there is Hayate" I stiffen as the latter cracks his knuckles to emphasise his presence. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you today" Isamu snickers and I glare at him.
"Then why did you drag me over here?" I growl, and it's silent before a moment before a cruel smile appears on Isamu's face.
"There's one thing greater than watching someone you love get hurt, although lesser than that someone being killed" Isamu said, a smug look on his face, almost as if he was telling me a riddle, it didn't matter, because I already knew what he was implying.
"Leo would never" I whisper, dread filling me. "He would never"
Would he?
TMNT
I kept my head low for the following 30 minutes or so, they wanted to worry Leo, they wanted him to feel the fear Takashi had felt when he had broken Isamu's ankle, when we hurt them, bruised them, when we caused them to be fired and lose the life they had, a good, albeit illegal, life.
When they dragged him in after all that time.. I didn't dare to look up at him, not ready to face him while I knew what was coming. He was thrown onto the ground just like I was, scrambling over to me. His hands were bound in front of him, and he was watching me with wide eyes.
"Mikey?!" He asked frantically, checking me for any new injuries and I slowly looked up, watching him with tears in my eyes.
"Whatever you do, I won't judge you" I whisper, causing Leo to frown. But before he could comment on it Leo's wrists were grabbed, a long chain wrapping around it and tying him to the grate as well, in front of me. He could probably barely stand up if he would, but he only shuffled in front of me, shielding me from Isamu and Hayate.
Isamu snorted at the act and I glared at him, eyeing warily at the knife.
"Catch" Isamu said casually, throwing the knife towards Leo. Without thinking about it Leo reached for the knife, catching it and looking at Isamu. He couldn't attack Isamu or Hayate because he was restrained, and it wasn't like he could throw it with the position he was in. Or the way his hands were tied.
Even if he could, he only had one knife, and there were two of them.
"Why?" Leo hisses, narrowing his eyes skeptically and I wince.
"You cut your own brother" Hayate sneers, watching with satisfied eyes. Leo's however widen, looking at me. Whatever you do, I won't judge you.
"I won't" Leo whispers. "I won't" He repeats, louder this time and throwing the knife away. Isamu sighs, walking up to the fallen knife and pushing it into Leo's hands again, keeping a hand around Leo's wrist to prevent him from attacking before stepping out of reach again.
"Don't bother, I won't do it" Leo growls and I smile sadly. I smile because I was relieved that Leo didn't want to hurt me, but I was sad because…
"That's too bad" Isamu shrugs, reaching for something behind his back and pointing it me. The next moment I felt something connect with my arm and before I knew it my muscles were seizing. I could faintly hear myself cry out, muscles liquefying and crumbling to the ground, writhing in pain.
I wish I could say 'and just a fast as it started, it ended' because I couldn't. The moment the pain left my pain felt like an hour after it started. Two hands were on top of me, a body protecting me. My body was still searing with pain, head pounding.
"Mikey" Leo whispered, concern in his eyes and my body shuddered again, I gasp, eyes wide open and looking past Leo. Isamu was looking smug, throwing away the gun he had just used on me. I glance down, muscles spasming as I did so. Two pins had imbedded themselves in my arm, blood surrounding them but not quite seeping down my arm.
"Get him back" Isamu commands in Japanese, glaring at Leo, who glared right back at him. Hayate walked over to him, undoing the chains and dragging Leo along with him.
"Don't struggle blue" Hayate hisses, snaking an arm around Leo's neck. Leo scrunches his eyes but snaps them open as Isamu starts to walk.. towards me.
"This is what happens if you don't follow our instructions Leonardo" Isamu hisses and before I realise what is happening I feel something cold put against my neck and my muscles seize up before I recognise it as a taser.
TMNT
Leo was silent above me, not speaking and only looking down with tears in his eyes. I blink a couple of times, as my vision was still blurry. Immediately his eyes lit up, both with shame and relief, he moves to get a better look at me and I blink once more
"I'm sorry" He whispers, trailing his fingers along my head, soothing the headache that was attacking my skull. "I'm so sorry"
"Don't be" I whisper, recoiling at the raspy voice that came out of my throat. I shake, lifting a hand up to my neck and wincing.
"Don't touch it" Leo whispers, gently taking my wrist and away from my neck, placing it on my own plastron to keep me from touching the wound again.
"What happened?" I ask, a slight slur in my speech and I look up at him again. I was currently resting my head on his legs, Leo sitting against the wall, looking completely exhausted. I noticed there was a cuff around his ankle, pinning him to the wall behind him, and one was around mine as well.
But that didn't matter right now, we were still locked inside, and my limbs weren't up to moving right now.
"They tasered you, and you passed out" Leo explained, biting his lip and looking away from me. The relief had died down some, but the shame was all too evident in his eyes, and I didn't like it.
"Leo" I try to get his attention, but he doesn't look at me. "Leo" I say again, more urgent this time. Still, he doesn't look at me, he refuses to meet my gaze and I frown slightly, reaching out for his hand.
"This isn't your fault" I try to tell him but instead of finally looking at me, he turns his head away. "Leo listen to me" I try again, my voice growing a little more desperate this time.
"They're hurting you to get to me" He mumbles and I sigh, squeezing the hand that was currently holding mine.
"This isn't your fault, we all fought them. They have a vendetta against you because you broke Isamu's ankle" I frown for a moment, as Leo still refuses to look at me. "And probably because you're the leader, they know the responsibility a leader of a clan has"
This time his head snaps towards me, a desperate look on his voice. "That doesn't make it easier Mikey" He cries out, a tear leaking down his face. I try to reach out for his face but my muscles quiver and I go limp again, closing my eyes for a second.
"I know that" I whisper, opening my eyes again. "You have been hurt plenty of times, you, Don and Raph.. even dad. I know what it's like"
"But that wasn't your fault" He butts in, frowning slightly.
"And this is?" I challenge. "I know you think it is, you did hurt Isamu.. but if it hadn't been you it had been me, I fought at your side that day… we all fought the foot throughout the last year.. "
"But I did break his ankle" Leo counters weakly and I grin almost, shaking my head.
"That doesn't make it your fault Leo.. villains generally go after the leader because without the leader.. the team isn't a team anymore."
"That doesn't justify this whole situation" Leo frowns but I just chuckle slightly, eyes closing involuntarily, guess I was still tired.
"It doesn't have to" I mumble. "Just don't blame yourself. S'not your fault"
I don't have the strength to open my eyes again and I softly squeeze Leo's hand, which he returns. Leo didn't release my hand, never left my side. But I knew that whatever I had said didn't make a difference, because no matter what I'd say, no matter how many times I would try.
He would always blame himself.
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the second chapter, leave a review if you did. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the reviews I got, you guys are awesome!
See ya! :D
