A/N: The response on this story was not at all expected. I just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews so far. :D
He spoke well who said that graves are the footprints of angels.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Running. That's all they seemed to be doing. The train wasn't that far away, but it seemed so much further than it actually was. As they reached the train, they hid in the shadows and made their way to the top, using the hatches on the top of the train as handles to hold.
"Ocean Star, huh?" Raphael grunted as the train jerked slightly, starting to take off.
Leonardo nodded, his eyes drifting to the side as the train picked up speed. "Yeah."
The further the train went, the closer they were to their destination, and the more anxious they became. How were their brother's? Had anything happened to them at all?
So many questions were mirrored between the two turtles, both of them knowing they shared the same thoughts. It would take about an hour to reach the Ocean Star by train, but they couldn't take the chance and risk Stockman getting frustrated with them and ending his 'game'.
The end of the game, meant the end of their brother's lives.
That thought led to another question.
Were either of them dead?
"Come on turtle, are you having trouble thinking?" Stockman chuckled as he watched the shivering form of the turtle on the screen in front of him. His hand reached up, slowly turning down the dial. The other one was no longer fun, but this one was still providing entertainment.
His experiment hadn't lasted long, but just the thrill of watching them suffer was enough, for now.
Mikey's lids drooped tiredly, the cold eating at him. His teeth were chattering and he rubbed his arms, trying to get some form of heat back. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to use the pain to keep himself awake.
The man who built it doesn't want it, the man who bought doesn't need it, the man who needs it doesn't know it.
That riddle sounded achingly familiar, and he slowly wrapped his head around it. It had been in his riddle book, and a slightly relieved smile crossed his face. He wouldn't screw up this time. Definitely not this time. Don could count on him.
Stockman's face appeared on the screen once more, and Mikey frowned. This was getting really old. He winced as the man chuckled.
"So have you figured it out turtle?"
Mikey allowed a silly little grin, glad that he wouldn't get it wrong. "It's a c-coffin…"
His teeth were chattering as the room got even colder, and the white clouds of air puffed in front of him. Even through his haze of cold, he could see the disappointment on Stockman's face, but he frowned as the disappointment turned into a smirk of delight.
"You won't last much longer turtle. You can't even think straight." The smirk grew wider.
"Tell you what. Abandon your brother here, and I'll let you go free." He'd given the same offer to the other turtle, but it didn't hurt to see how this one would take it. Would he accept? Decline? He was fairly certain he knew the answer, but it was fun to give them false hope.
"I wouldn't b-betray my brother!" Mikey glared heatedly up at the screen, anger running through him at the question. How dare he. How dare Stockman even try to get him to do something like that.
His glare darkened as Stockman's smirk grew impossibly wider.
"Well, you took a lot less time to consider that. At least your brother Donatello actually thought about it. He had his own interests in mind. Why can't you do the same?" It was a lie, obviously, but the sleep fogged mind of the turtle would affect his thought process. Making him slower due to the cold.
Mikey shook his head, refusing to believe Stockman's words. Don wouldn't have even considered leaving him behind. He knew he wouldn't have. But why did something nag at him, tell him that Don could have thought about it. It was his fault after all, that they were even here in the first place.
"You don't believe me? Fair enough, you're entitled to believe in what you will. Just know that your brother obviously doesn't care much about you… or at least not as much as you care about him." Stockman chuckled at his words. Mind games were so easy, especially when the other one was scared and confused, his mind coming up with the most wild things.
Mikey's hand moved up and lightly grasped his head, his eyes wide as the rest of him drooped, the cold starting to take over.
No… Don wouldn't do that. Right?
Why couldn't he have any faith that his brother wouldn't even think of Stockman's offer? Was it because he knew that he wasn't strong?
He shook his head, his eyes clenching shut as he thought over it. No, Don definitely wouldn't have considered it. Stockman had to be lying about that. He had to be. There was no other answer for it.
Laughter echoed through the room as Stockman leaned back. "Time for the next riddle, Michelangelo. Can you once more prevent your brother's supply of air from running out? Or will you lose once again, and put your brother at risk?"
There was a pause before he continued. "Or is Donatello even worth it?"
Mikey's eyes widened at the question Was Don worth it? Of course he was! There was no doubt in his mind, or any question about it at all. He wouldn't fail his brother.
"No answer? Then I suppose you won't mind the next riddle. Think hard, turtle, or it could be the last one that you read."
The screen flashed as it normally did, and it soon showed the riddle.
A man was to be sentenced, and the judge told him, "You may make a statement. If it is true, I'll sentence you to four years in prison. If it is false, I'll sentence you to six years in prison." After the man made his statement, the judge decided to let him go free. What did the man say?
Mikey read over the riddle, taking the time to reread it when his head drooped.
What was the answer?
TMNT
I'm just going to let you know that this riddle is one of my favourites of all time, so I couldn't not put it in. ^^
