Chapter 7 -Mikey-
~~~
Splinter's eyes glittered black in the candle-light. Donatello and Raphael had returned safely bearing a familiar blue scrap of fabric. Splinter laid it carefully on the ground in front of him, his gaze resting on it as if it could connect him to his eldest son. Slowly, he allowed the peace of the spiritual plane to wash over his mind. Reaching out once more, he searched, seeking any trace of Leonardo.
The familiar spirit hovered, Splinter could sense its presence, but when he tried to connect, it was as though his son were too far away to hear him… as if he were distracted somehow. Splinter drew closer, but the essence faded like fog in sunlight. The fleeting connection was broken. Splinter opened his eyes, a headache hovering.
My son… Why can I not reach you? Of all my students, your practice of meditation and the spiritual arts of ninjitsu are the strongest. You should be able to connect with me, to communicate. What is blocking you, my son?
Splinter rose, with a sigh, and pinched out the candles one by one. He lay down on the thin mattress, and closed his eyes, but sleep was a long time coming.
In the main part of the Lair, Michelangelo lay on the couch. He'd insisted on staying there rather than in his own bed or the medi-bed set up in Donatello's lab. Raphael waited until Mikey was sleeping before laying a blanket over his shoulders and going to bed.
He knew his little brother was trying to evade the nightmares that had plagued him since Leonardo'd disappeared, as if moving his sleeping place could trick them into passing him by. So far, it seemed to be working.
Raph lay in his hammock, snoring. Only his iron grip on his sais gave any indication that he was sleeping lightly enough to be awakened at any sound or touch. Donatello stared at his computer screen, reaching for a now-cold cup of coffee, and making a face as he took a sip. He glanced at the clock, and groaned. Yawning and stretching, he stood up, and headed to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.
Might as well. It's near enough to morning, anyway. The Lair's too quiet without Leo here. He'd be training already. And probably yelling me for not getting to bed. Oh Leo, if you'd come home, I'd be tucked in by ten, every night. Well, most nights, anyway.
"Don?"
"Mornin' Raph."
"It's not mornin'. It's da middle of da night."
"Go back to bed, Raph."
"Nah, I'm up now." Raphael opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of Mountain Dew.
"Raph, you shouldn't drink that stuff. It's bad for you."
"Yeah, and coffee-fueled all-nighters are a great basis for ninja training?"
Donatello met his brother's eyes and sighed. "I've been searching the 'net."
"Didja find anyt'ing?"
"Only a website for a guy who designs specialized cages for herp collectors."
"What collectors?"
"Herps. Reptiles. He posts photos of his custom designs. He's working on one right now. It doesn't say who the customer is, but he's building a fifteen foot long, by thirty foot wide, by fifteen foot tall glass enclosure."
"What does that have to do with Leo?"
"He's building it out of bullet-proof, inch-thick glass."
Raphael's eyes widened as comprehension filled his morning-fogged brain. "Do ya t'ink…"
"I don't know, Raph."
"A reptile collector? Like, somebody'd want to keep Leo, like a pet?"
Donatello rubbed a hand over his head, as if he could brush away the headache that was beginning to form.
"It's a possibility, Raph."
"Well where is dis guy, dis builder? Let's go find him and make him tell who's got Leo." Raphael set the Mountain Dew on the table and pushed his chair back.
"Raph, wait. We don't know that this guy even knows where Leo is. We can't just go storming in…"
"Mebbe you can't, Don, but I can. It's the only lead we've got!"
"Well…"
"Donny." Raph's amber eyes flared.
"Ok, ok." Donatello held up his hands in surrender. "But wait, Raph. Let's not just go running in there. Who knows what kind of security this guy has? Let me find out where he lives, his personal apartment, ok? It'll be easier to catch him alone there. We shouldn't risk exposing ourselves to more people than necessary."
"Yeah, I see yer point, Don. Listen, just get 'im alone. I'll make 'im tell us where Leo is." Raphael twirled a sai in his fingers.
"Raph, you do realize he's got to be breathing to tell us anything."
Raphael laughed, a cold, dry sound. "Yeah, Donny. Don't worry."
"We'll go tonight," said Donatello decisively. Raphael nodded, pleased with the plan. "That will give me time to find his personal address, and we can use the evening to sus it out, and figure out if he has any security systems I'll need to get us past."
"You get us in, Don, I'll handle da rest."
"Raph, it's possible he doesn't know anything."
"What're ya sayin', Don?" Raphael glared at his brother.
"I'm just saying, don't be too disappointed if it turns out to be nothing," said Donatello softly.
"Don't worry, bro."
Michelangelo tossed in his sleep, rolling over on the couch. It wasn't easy, with a shell in the way, but he didn't manage to fall off the edge.
Leo was running, dashing down the alleyway as if the Shredder himself were after him… but wait, this was wrong, Leo never ran away. He stood and fought, his katanas flashing… Leo's katanas were gone. So was his mask, his pads, his belt. All gone.
"Leo!" Mikey called, his cry echoing, lost, in the alley. Leo kept running. He glanced back over his shoulder, but his dark eyes were different, wrong somehow. No intelligence, no recognition lit those almost-black eyes. Only fear and instinct moved in his brother's expression.
"Leo!" Mikey screamed the name now, running, desperate to catch his brother. Something gripped his shell, lifting him, pulling him back. Cold, cruel laughter filled his ears… Hun! Hun had him, and he'd grown! Shell, Mikey thought the guy was huge before, that was nothing to his size now. He towered over the streets, over Leo, over everything, lifting Mikey higher and higher.
A streak of green and red leapt at Hun… and bounced harmlessly off his side. A purple-banded turtle attacked grimly, and his bo snapped in two. Hun laughed as he swatted Don out of the way like an annoying insect. Donatello crashed to the ground, and lay very still.
"Raph! Don!" Mikey screamed again. Hun chuckled again, reaching down, and plucking Leonardo up. Leo screamed, the sound of a terrified animal…
"Mikey! Mikey, wake up. Yer dreamin', bro. Wake up!"
"No! Leo!" Michelangelo's eyes popped open and he flailed wildly, falling off the couch with a crash.
Thick arms came around him, lifting him up, cradling him against a familiar plastron. "It's ok, Mikey. Take it easy, bro. I'm right here. It's ok." Michelangelo's arms wrapped as if of their own accord around Raphael's neck. He laid his cheek against his brother's chest, sobs shaking his shoulders.
"H…h..he didn't know me. And Hun… Hun got me… an' he hit Donny… an' Leo… Leo…"
"Mike, it was just a dream. Yer safe now, bro." Raphael's hand rubbed over Mikey's shell, soothing.
"It was so real, Raphie. And Leo, he looked… he…"
"Mike. It was a dream. It's ok. We're gonna get Leo back. Don t'inks he found somet'in' on da computer. Mebbe somebody who knows where Leo is."
"Donny?" Michelangelo sat up, releasing his older brother. He scrambled to his feet, slightly embarrassed. Don sighed, shooting Raphael a look. Raph shrugged.
"I might have found something, Mike. A man who builds custom enclosures for reptile collectors has a specialized build posted on his website. It's huge, and he's building it from really strong materials. I have a theory that whoever he's building it for might have Leo."
"You mean, somebody put Leo in a cage?" The horror of the dream came flooding back, swamping Michelangelo. He sank onto the couch cushions and buried his face in his hands.
"Whatsa matter, Mikey?"
"In… in my dream. Leo was… he was like… he didn't know me." Mikey blurted out. "It was like… he wasn't Leo."
"Of course he wasn't Leo, bonehead. It was a nightmare," growled Raph. Donatello came over and sat down next to his distraught youngest brother.
"I…I know. But it was so real."
"Don't worry, Mike. We're going out tonight to… talk to this guy." Donatello looked at Raph over Mike's shoulder. "If he knows where Leo is, we'll find out. We're going to bring him home."
"I'm goin' too."
"Mikey, you just took a pretty hard hit on the head just yesterday. Maybe you should stay here with Master Splinter. Raph and I can handle this…"
"No! I'm going. You guys aren't going out there alone. We're a team." Michelangelo lifted his head. His blue eyes snapped with unaccustomed anger. "If somebody's put Leo in a cage, I'm goin' to help get him out."
"Ok, Mike," said Donatello. He stood up. "I'm going to find as much information as I can on this Matthews guy. Mike, why don't you fix some breakfast? Master Splinter will want us in the dojo soon."
"Ya t'ink he'll wanna train dis mornin'?" Raph looked at Donatello, his eye ridges rising.
"It gives him something to do," said Don lightly.
Raphael stared, then laughed. "True."
"You guys want eggs?"
"Sure, Mikey. Whatever you want."
"Sounds good to me."
Michelangelo headed into the kitchen. Donatello returned to his lab chair. Raphael watched them go, shaking his head. Mikey was so excitable. These dreams were getting worse.
They'll stop when Leo gets home again, thought Raph. Bro, you'd better get back soon. If I have to wash Mikey's snot off my shell one more time… He shook his head, walking to the bathroom for a towel.
***
Raphael squatted next to the man's bed, and poked him in the arm with a sai.
"Wakey, wakey."
Greg Matthews twitched, opening his eyes. "Huh? What the…" He gasped as a blade was pressed to his throat.
"I suggest ya lay still," growled a voice near his ear.
"I… I don't have any money here…" the man quavered.
"We don't want yer money," the voice grated out.
"Wh… what…"
"You're building a custom enclosure for one of your clients. We want to know who it's for." A second voice. Greg's eyes flickered toward the sound. He could just make out a figure standing in the corner of the room, a darker shape among the shadows.
"I… I don't know what…" The blade pressed down, threatening to break the skin.
"A name, Mr. Matthews. That's all we want." The shadowy figure was somehow more terrifying in its calm than the one holding the blade.
"Can't… client insists…"
"Ya won't be able ta build it if I slit yer throat," growled the voice next to him. Greg caught a glint of unnatural amber colored eyes in the dim light. His nerve broke, and he started to shake.
"Just don't kill me," he whimpered.
"A name, Matthews. We'll go, and you'll never hear any more from us." A promise hung in the calm tone. Greg almost believed him. Almost.
"Keagan. Justin Keagan. I don't know what he wants it for. Wouldn't tell me…" Gasping sobs shook the man as he babbled. "Please… please don't kill me…"
A tear trickled down his cheek, landing wetly in his ear. It was about then that he realized the blade was gone, and the room was empty. Greg Matthews lay on the bed for a long, fearful time before he dared to move.
He slammed the open window shut, and double checked all the locks before grabbing a suitcase from the closet and throwing things hastily in it. He didn't know what Keagan was mixed up in, but he wanted no part of it.
***
"Woooooo-hoo!" Michelangelo flew through the night, feeling as though he were floating as he leapt from one roof to the next. "Come on, Raphie, catch-me-if-you-can!"
"Mikey, ya idiot," panted Raph. He slowed, looking over his shoulder at their purple-banded brother.
Donatello shrugged. "I've got to get back to the Lair, and look this guy up."
"Go ahead, Donnie. I'll stay out with the lunatic fer a while."
"Ok, Raph. Be careful."
"Tell dat to da jumpin' jack."
"Heh. See you in a while. You've got your cell, right."
"Yeah, Donny. Don't worry. Just go find dis guy so we can go after Leo."
"I'll call you as soon as I find anything."
Raphael watched as his brother dropped down the fire escape, disappearing into a manhole in the alley below. He shook his head.
If he was any more attached to that computer, we'd be buyin' rings and plannin' a weddin', he thought. Raphael looked up, scanning the rooftops. A scowl drew his brow down, and his eyes narrowed.
"Mikey?"
No answer. The roofs lay silent, as if waiting for something.
"Mikey, where are ya?"
Nothing.
"Dis ain't funny, Mike!" Raphael started running, jumping lightly to the next roof. There was no sign of his youngest brother. He transversed the roofs, shouting, his cries echoing through the night.
It was nearly four hours before Raphael came home. Donatello looked up from the computer screen as his eldest brother came through the door.
"I think I've found something. A Justin Keagan does have an extensive collection, he gives tours to the local college kids… Raph, bro, are you ok? Where's Mikey? Raph? Where's Mikey?"
"I… I couldn't… He's gone, Donny." Raphael's usually furious eyes were dull and cloudy with tears. "He's gone. I looked everywhere. I searched… All I found was dis."
Donatello stared. In his brother's hands were Mikey's nunchucks, and his shell-cell. It was smashed.
"Where…"
"In da alley, Don. Where we found dat piece of Leo's mask. I went back just now… I didn't t'ink of it sooner. Don… somebody took 'im."
A/N: Another cliff-hanger. Sorry.
Reviews will bring Mikey home again!
