Holidays + No life = Surprise Update!

This was supposed to be 2 chapters, but I couldn't find a way to split it without ruining the writing effect I was going for. So lucky you, you get an extra long chapter. Two days early. Happy Thanksgiving.


"Shredder may be able to break our bodies, but he can't break our spirits. Not unless we let him."

Both brothers had turned to look at their leader, listening to his words intently.

"And we are NOT gonna let him." Leo turned to face them, determination burned into every feature. "Are we?"

Mikey looked to Donnie as they slowly stood, leaning on each other for support, Leo's resolve spreading to them like wildfire. "Never."

"Not a chance, bruh."

Leo offered them a decisive smile. "That's more like it."

The brothers stood for a moment, their spirits brightened in hope for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

Donnie suddenly felt the room spinning, putting a hand to his head as he fell to his knees, clinging to his brother to break his fall.

"Donnie, you alright?" Leo asked, grabbing the bars in front of him.

"I'm ok…" He took a few calming breaths to steady himself, his body now crying out for him to sit, so he complied.

"Way to ruin the moment, bro." Mikey jibed, feeling their connection a moment ago to be the stuff of Hollywood. It was only then that he got a good look at his brother's injuries. "Dude…" His hand went to Don's plastron where there was a hole that burned deep past his skin. "What did he—"

"Do you have any water left?" Don interrupted what he knew would likely turn into a Mikey freak-out moment. He reached a hand up to inspect the injury on his chest; definitely the worst of the bunch, but his right arm was pretty bad too. Pulling some of the sports tape from around his hands, he offered it to Mikey. "Can you wrap it? I'm no good with my left."

Mikey exchanged the bandages for what little water he had. He watched with worried eyes as Don hissed in pain at the water washing over his wounds. With it gone, his brother offered his arm to be wrapped. "You sure you're alright?" Mikey asked, noting the exhaustion in his brother's face.

"I'll be ok."

With his arm wrapped, he went to work patching the rest of himself up. He had to tear off a piece of his pants to cover the hole in his chest, and though he tried his best to keep a calm face in front of his siblings, that one was too painful to conceal. When he felt his more serious wounds were taken care of, he looked to his younger brother. "How's your chest?" There'd been a lot of moving around these past few minutes, and Don was afraid that might have reopened the wound.

"It's healing, I think. It doesn't hurt as bad as it did earlier."

Donnie nodded, taking a look for himself. Adrenaline. Mikey's brain must still be pumping the hormone through his body so he didn't feel the pain or weariness yet. That wouldn't last long. Fortunately the cut was still clotting, no damage done. Don put a hand to Mikey's forehead: his fever was dissipated, but that could simply be a reaction to the adrenaline as well. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

"Dude, stop taking care of me—" Mikey removed his brother's hand from his forehead. "—And look after yourself for a change. You look like you're ready to pass out."

Don smiled, pulling himself to the wall to lean on. He most definitely wished for some sleep, if not for any other reason than to escape the pain. But he couldn't rest yet. "Leo, I got a good look at the facility we're in."

The eldest moved his gaze from Don's injuries to his eyes. "Tell me."

"It's quite an impressive set-up. Shredder must have been planning this for some time."

"Aw, he's been thinking about us? I'm touched!" Mikey quipped, leaning against the wall by his brother. His adrenaline was starting to fade already and his body was remembering how exhausted it was.

"As far as I could see, that door's the only way in or out. And behind it there's a long corridor, no windows or vents, leading to another door just like it. It would appear Shredder is the only one with access to either of them."

"I suspected as much." Leo mumbled, more to himself than to the others. "So without Shredder, we've no access to any escape."

"We could always dig our way out. Like they did in that movie: all we need is a small rock hammer and a giant poster."

Leo shook his head at Mikey's ridiculous idea; at least he was sounding more like himself.

"We can't."

"Because we'd never find a giant poster of Rita Hayworth?" Leo asked sarcastically, incredulous that Don was taking Mikey's suggestion seriously.

"Because we'd drown."

Both brothers turned to Donnie. "Drown?"

"How?"

Don sat up a bit so he could meet his brother's gaze better. "I think this whole facility is deep under water."


Shredder's eyes danced with delight, reveling in his latest victory. For the briefest of moments he'd seen Leonardo's mask of defiance drop, and it had made him elated with triumph. He knew the turtle suffered every time his siblings were dragged away, but knowing it should have been himself was likely what tipped him over the edge. Shredder was closer to victory than he had ever been.

It was only a matter of time.

Seeing Raph secured to the table once more, Shredder smiled: back to the matter at hand. "Ready for round 2?"

"Bring it ya oversized trash can!"

"So overconfident." Shredder chuckled. "I like it."

"You let me outta these restraints and I'll show you how confident I am." Raph glared at his capture, still surprised he'd managed to swap places with Mikey. It made sense if he was hoping to just torment someone for a long time, but Leo had said this was a head game. And if Shredder wanted to mess with their minds, the best way would be to go for Mikey. They were all overprotective of their youngest, and Shredder knew it. So why did he let them swap? Not that he was complaining, but he was sure if Leo were here he'd be saying something about seeing the bigger picture.

"A glutton for punishment I see."

"I ain't scared of—" Raph was cut off by the shock that erupted from his cuffs. His body groaned, still trying to recover from the last bout, and in no shape to even begin resisting new pain.

"What was that?" Shredder asked, circling the table.

"I said…" Raph spit some blood in the villain's direction. "I ain't scared of you."

Shredder leaned in close, laughing in the turtle's face. "Good."


"Underwater?" Mikey chewed the words as his mind raced with several different 'evil-villain lair' possibilities. Were his brother not off in another room being tortured, he might have thought the idea of an underwater hideout was fantastically cool.

"How do you figure, Don?"

"In the other room there was a computer that had a pressure gauge and oxygen levels displayed. And there are no windows in any of the rooms. Plus there's that unmistakable smell of saltwater."

Leo thought about that a moment, trying not to let the information fog his mind with doubt; as if escape wasn't difficult enough. "Did you see any way out?"

"There was another door on the opposite end of the room, but it was closed. Possibly an exit?"

It would have to be. Shredder had to have a way out for himself. "Was it the same as this one?"

"Most likely." Don paused a moment to cough as some blood got caught in his throat, his chest aching with every movement.

Leo breathed out slowly, trying to think. If it was the same, they'd need Shredder to open that one too. "Anything else you saw?"

"The Foot—" Donnie sputtered into another coughing fit.

Mikey put a hand to his shell. "You ok?"

Don took a moment to answer, trying to find his breath. "I could use some water."

"Here." Leo reached through the bars and rolled his water bottle in Don's direction. Mikey picked it up and handed it to him, both noting it was still nearly full.

"Leo, you need—"

"I'm alright Don. Drink up."

The purple-banded turtle was about to argue when another coughing fit overtook him. He swallowed some water to sooth the burning in his chest.

"What about the Foot?"

"I think," He took a moment to catch his breath. "Because this place is so secluded, I think Shredder has limited Foot soldiers down here. It's possible he could call for more if he needed, but we'd at least have a window of time while they were on their way."

Leo logged that piece into his mental puzzle of escape plans. This was good. The more information the better. If Donnie was right –and he usually was- then the limited soldiers would make escape easier, but they'd still be stopped cold at those doors. There had to be a way past them. "Nice work Don." For the first time since being thrown in here, Leo felt like he might be able to formulate some sort of plan. "Now you should get some rest."

"I don't—" He coughed again, taking a sip of water. "I don't think I could sleep now if I wanted to." His body may be tired, but his mind was racing with possibilities and statistical outcomes of different escape scenarios.

Mikey's mind, however, was more compliant. As he leaned close to his brother, his eyes had started to droop, his arm still on Donnie's shell. "Yeah Leo 'sleep is for the weak', or so Raph would say." At the mention of their brother, the turtles fell silent. Mikey had regretted saying it the moment it left his mouth. His guilt suddenly returned with a vengeance. "What do you think Shredder's doing to him?" He asked quietly.

The older two were silent a moment, neither wanting to know the answer to that question. "Nothing he can't handle." Leo finally spoke, trying to be positive. Images of what his brother's torture might involve flashed through his mind and he shook his head; burry it. Had to burry it. No time for guilt. No time for fear. They were finally onto a way out of this mess, he couldn't let anything cloud his judgment right now.

Donnie put a hand to the one Mikey had on his shoulder. "Don't worry Mikey. He'll be ok."


Raph sagged in his cuffs, his wrists burning from holding his weight. Shredder had turned the table vertical again and Raph preferred it that way. It may hurt more, but he felt less exposed. Shredder had been taking it easy on him so far, probably wanting to enjoy his torment rather than get it over with quickly. But Raph knew his game. He'd proven last time that when his enemy got angry, he got careless. Donnie had told him about the light in the prison flickering, and Raph guessed Shredder hadn't meant to take it that far. But when the ninja refused to give in, his capture had to have his victory at any cost.

Raph knew a thing or two about anger.

He figured that if he could rowel Shredder up enough, he could get him to make a mistake. Give away an escape, a location, or any kind of detail that might help get his brothers out of here. It was a long shot, but it was all he had. Not to mention the longer Shredder was with him, the safer his brothers were.

"You ain't bored already… are ya?" Raph asked between gasps for air, noting Shredder seemed less enthused than he was last time. Maybe he was getting to him already?

The Jonin turned his back to Raph, a hand to his chin. Bored? No no, merely contemplating. He'd already shocked the life from this one once- and if he was being honest he'd gotten bored with that form of torture after having used it on all three victims thus far. The katana was too quick, too absolute; there wasn't as much time to savor all the little moments of pain. In fact, most all the weapons on his wall didn't seem to suit the situation. What to do?

Raising a hand, Shredder commanded a soldier to come to him with a vial of purple liquid. Shredder looked it over a moment, deciding whether or not he wanted to use it on this turtle. He had been saving it for a special purpose.

"Perhaps it is time."


"You know what I could really go for right now?" Mikey asked, not really waiting for an answer. "Ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Leo peeked an eye open from his meditative position in the middle of his cell. "Over pizza?"

"Too hot for pizza, bro." Though if pizza was offered, he certainly wouldn't turn it down.

"Don, you better check his temperature, Mikey's gotta be sick." Leo's sarcastic tone brought a smile to both brothers.

Don sat up to feel his brother's temperature anyways, noting that Mikey still insisted it was too warm when the room was getting decidedly cold. Putting a hand to his forehead, Donnie's eyes narrowed in worry. "Mikey, you're hot."

"See bro," Mikey called to Leo. "I told you I had all the good looks."

Leo smiled, eyes closing back into meditation.

"I'm serious. Let me see your cut." Don shifted to a sitting position slowly, still unbelievably sore from his ordeal. Moving the sweater, he peered at the wound on his brother's chest and detected more inflammation than before. He immediately took Leo's water and poured some over the wound, trying to get a better look. Mikey pulled away in a wince.

"Dude!"

"I'm sorry, but your cut isn't looking good." He pulled the sweater tight again, shaking his head. "You may be getting an infection."

"If good looks are infectious, then I'm an epidemic." Mikey replied coolly, quoting a line from a soap opera he'd seen before.

"Mikey." Don's tone was stern, trying to get his brother to take him seriously. "Drink this—" he handed over the water bottle. "—And try to get some rest. Your body needs it to heal."

"Heh," Mikey took a sip. "Hello pot, my name's kettle. Have we met?"

Don rolled his eyes, not able to stop the grin that tugged at his lips.

Leo stood from his spot; while it interrupted his meditation, he enjoyed hearing his siblings banter. Mikey's positivity had returned with a vengeance, and Donnie seemed more certain than ever that they could find an escape. They were catching their second wind. "He's right. You both should sleep."

"But what about—"

"I'll keep an eye out for Raph." Leo interjected, knowing what his youngest brother was about to ask. "I'll wake you up when he gets back." If the door didn't wake them up first.

"I don't—"

"Rest Donnie. You'll need it."


Shredder had used nearly every weapon at his disposal on this turtle, and still he was unsatisfied with the results. He could see his victim was in pain, but he still remained spiteful, glaring at the Jonin every time he opened his eyes. His mouth was starting to get on Shredder's nerve; the insults Raph hurled were nothing impressive, but they were still a sign of defiance that should have been wiped from him hours ago. The turtle was more stubborn than he thought.

Turning to his beaten captive, Shredder noticed his eyes were fighting to stay open; clearly the torment was becoming too much for his body, even if his brain –or lack there of- remained steadfast. The perfect time for his new weapon.

"Hey, tin for brains… I'm talkin' to you." Raph called, trying not to sound as weak as he felt. It seemed as though he'd been here for hours, but how much time had actually passed was beyond him. Shredder had been going to town, beating him with every blunt instrument and painful object he could find. But Raph remained vigilant. He was beyond grateful to have been given this chance to protect his baby brother, and he wasn't gonna let it go to waste. If he could keep Shredder here all night (or day?) he would. And hopefully, in that time, Don and Leo would be able to figure a way out of here. "We still doin' this… or what?" Try as he might, he couldn't help the breathiness in his tone. His body was tired. Aching. And desperate for time to heal.

But his brothers were safe. That's what mattered.

"I must say, I am impressed with your stamina." Shredder finally turned, pulling the purple vial from his pocket. "You're the perfect candidate to try my new weapon." Taking a needle from his soldier, Shredder loaded the vile and flicked the needle. "I tested earlier versions of this serum on your brother," Shredder waited for a reaction, but Raph remained calm. "He didn't take it too well. Even his screams were weak." At that the turtle glared, jerking against his restraints as if trying to throw a fist at Shredder. The Jonin chuckled. "Not to worry. The final product is much more impressive. I'm sure you'll find it to your high pain-tolerating standards."

Raph's green eyes flared with anger as Shredder pricked the needle into his skin, emptying the vile. Whatever this guy was planning, he'd be ready for it. He could take it.

"Being that you're our first test subject, I'm going to need you to be honest." Shredder's voice was as cavalier as ever. "Ready?"

Raph spit in Shredder's direction. The Jonin smiled, eyes dancing in excitement.

"Hajime!"

Raph's cuffs burst with electricity, shocking him as they had many times before. He wondered what was so different about—

"AH!" A small cry escaped his lips before he even felt it coming. His entire body was suddenly in agony, pulling him apart from the inside out. Raph bit his lip to keep from screaming. He pulled against his restraints, desperate to get away from the pain. It felt as though something was clawing at his insides, ripping every cell from his body, one by one. His eyes were locked shut, futilely trying to block out the torment. Even after all he'd been through already, Raph had never known pain like this. His lips trembled as he tried desperately to keep any shout from escaping, but it was a losing battle.

His mouth finally opened, releasing a cry of agony.


Leo had been slowly pacing his cell, watching as his brothers finally fell into sleep. He couldn't help but stare at them, looking over every injury he could see with sad eyes. It was his fault. They were hurt because of him. Because of his bad leadership.

No. Don't fall into that trap. Guilt later.

He shook his head, shoving all emotions back into their pit. His brothers were alive… that's what mattered.

With the information Donnie had given him, he finally had a decent plan of escape formulating. The fact that they were underwater shouldn't be an issue; no way Shredder was down here without a way back to the surface on hand. And with a limited number of Foot soldiers, it shouldn't be too difficult to take them down. The biggest problem was, of course, Shredder himself. Not only was he able to restrain/shock them at the push of a button, but he was also the only one who could open both doors standing between them and the exit. How were they to—

Leo turned his head toward the door at the faint sound of a scream.

Raph…

The leader closed his eyes a moment, trying desperately not to think about what his brother was going through right now. Raph wasn't one to admit to pain, so to hear him cry out like that… it made Leo shudder.

Burry it. Find a way out. That's the only way to save them. Find a way out.


Shredder's lips curled in delight as he raised a hand to stop the shocks.

Raph gasped for breath, his lungs burning as though he'd just drowned. His body fell, unable to hold itself up. Unable to move at all. Everything ached. Everything burned. Everything. Raph's eyes were wide with terror at what he'd just experienced. What the hell was that!? He forced himself to calm down, stifling the panic that still gripped his mind.

Shredder paraded over, dripping with pomposity. "Now remember, be honest," He lifted Raph's head to look him in his drooping eyes. "How did that feel?"

Raph coughed, unable to answer as his body still desperately cried for oxygen. No. He couldn't let Shredder get to him. He forced his eyes up to glare at his capture, contempt in his every feature, as a strained smirk crossed his lips. "…Tickled…" He panted, satisfied at the anger that flitted through Shredders eyes.

The Jonin stepped back. This turtle was trying his patience. "Again!"

Pain engulfed him. Raph snapped his eyes shut, his body lurching away from the table, trying desperately to pull free from this hell. He trapped the scream clawing it's way up his throat, but couldn't stop his body from convulsing as though trying to tear away from his shell. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. His mind was reeling, unable to compute anything but the pain, desperate to make it stop.

Had to hold out. Had to keep it together. His youngest brother's baby blue eyes popped into his mind.

Had to protect his brothers.

Trying to find strength he knew he didn't have, Raph opened his eyes to glare at his capture, despite the agony.

Shredder narrowed his eyes. Stubborn turtle… "Zouka!"

No! No more! Raph barely held himself together as his body screamed. He couldn't take it anymore. "AAAAAAAAH!" His cry was of pure misery. Every part of him was drowning in agony. Pain coursed through every nerve, tearing at anything in it's way.

Shredder smiled. At last…


Leo took a calming breath when the scream stopped. It was short, but that brought only a modicum of comfort. Raph was hurting and Leo couldn't save him. He was hurting because he was smart enough to save Mikey when Leo wasn't. He was hurting because his leader had failed to do his job.

He was hurting because of Leo.

The leader tightened his hands into fists. Breathe. Had to stay calm. Clear the mind. Raph will be ok. Stop worrying and find a way out.

Finally getting control of himself, Leo sat in the middle of his cell, preparing to meditate again.

Another cry. This one louder. Leo first looked to his brothers, thankful to see it had not woken them. This was a torment he'd rather bear alone. He stood once again, walking to the edge of his cell and grasping the bars, grateful for their cold touch against his sweaty hands. Had to stay calm.

"Hang in there Raph…"

Leo lowered his head to rest on the bars as his hands gripped his cell tighter, turning his knuckles white.

"Hang in there."


The torment stopping, Raph once again fell against the table. He couldn't feel anything. Couldn't move anything. His eyes were heavy as bricks and his body felt as though it had torn apart and thrown itself all over the room. The only thing that kept him conscious was thoughts of his brothers. The longer he kept Shredder busy, the safer they were. Stay awake. Just stay awake.

"And now?" The Jonin stepped forward, enjoying how weak the turtle looked. "How was that?"

Raph coughed, wincing in pain at the movement. His mind begged him to admit defeat; anything to avoid more torture. "Barely… felt it…" He grasped for breath as he spoke, his lungs still desperately seeking oxygen. He had to hide the fear that crept under his skin at Shredder's disdain. Please… no more.

But he held his glare steady, not letting his enemy see his weakness.

"Stubbornness," Shredder marched closer, his own eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Is not bravery." He grabbed Raph by the chin, looking him over a moment before throwing him away. "We're done here."

Raph nearly sighed in relief, but held it back.

"It's time to try my new toy on the youngest brother."

Raph tensed, eyes suddenly wide open. No, he wouldn't let that happen. No way he was letting his baby brother go through what he just had! No way. "We're not… done here…" He paused a moment to try and gather his breath. Who knew speaking took so much effort?

Shredder ignored him, turning to walk away.

"You no-talent hack… You can't handle… one measly turtle?" He coughed, ignoring the pain that flared through his chest and back. "You're as bad… as your lackeys…"

The Jonin shook his head at the turtle's attempts to rouse him. Enough, he was bored of this. He raised a hand to have his soldiers take Raph down as he walked toward the door.

Raph panicked; Shredder wasn't stopping. He had to get to him. To keep him here. Keep him away from his brothers. He drew a deep breath, throwing out a desperate insult. "Almost as bad… as that daughter of yours… what was her name? Karai?"

Shredder froze, his soldiers stopping as their master held up a hand to keep Raph where he was. Slowly turning, he glared daggers at the turtle. "You impudent reptile. You will not speak her name again."

Raph couldn't believe it worked. Keep it going. Keep him here. "Yeah? You ashamed?" He grasped at air, trying to sound as strong as he could. "I would be… she was a pretty terrible soldier…" He couldn't help the cough that spewed from his throat. Stay strong. It was working.

Shredder's eyes spiked from mildly annoyed to enraged in a matter of seconds. His soldiers stepped back in fear as he stomped towards Raph, anger pouring from every feature. "You will not speak of her again!" His face was merely inches away from Raphael.

"You must not have taught her well."

"How dare you—"

"She was a failure of a soldier."

Shredder seethed.

"Probably deserved what she got—"

"Enough!"

"—Being abandoned by her own father—"

"ENOUGH!" Shredder raised his hand in the air, forcing a blade from his armor and sliced at Raph in pure furry. Again. And Again. A shout of anger ringing through the hall as he came down on the turtle with one last hit.

Raph's eyes flew open, a sudden stinging pain erupting from his chest and robbing him of breath. He looked down to see two of Shredder's blades jutting out from his body; one in his shoulder and the other just below it in his plastron. Shell… Leo was gonna kill him. Still, he couldn't help but grin; he'd won this round. He'd found Shredder's weak spot.

Shredder breathed heavily as he took a step back, still glowering at his enemy. How dare he… How dare he! His eyes widened when he saw the turtle look up at him with a small chuckle on his lips. He was laughing!? Shredder grit his teeth, unable to control his anger. "Zouka!"

The soldier at the computer stared at his Master a moment, unsure if he should adhere to the Jonin's rage driven actions. His doubts were silenced by the ire in his Master's eyes. "ZOUKA!"

Electricity burst from Raphs cuffs, attacking the metal blades with the speed and ferocity of a bullet from a gun. Searing Pain erupted from his chest, engulfing him within seconds.

Raph screamed.


Leo had managed to fall back into a standing meditation, hoping that doing so would steady his nerves and keep his mind off his brother. But only a few minutes after the last, another sound roared through the air.

A cry of pain like nothing Leo had ever heard.

His brothers were startled awake by the noise, Mikey sitting to his knees as Donnie grabbed his shell to keep him from moving too much.

The cry bellowed through the room, drowning the turtles in bone-chilling anguish. Donnie squeezed his eyes shut as he placed his hands over his brother's ears.

Leo grabbed the bars in front of him once again, desperation shaking from his hands.

Raph!


His chest was in excruciating agony, unable to escape it. His body lurched to get away, but it only dug the blades deeper. His mind was gone, lost to the pain. He squinted to see Shredder still staring him down, rage seething from every breath. Raph's eyes slammed shut as he writhed under the heel of torment. This wasn't going to end. Shredder wasn't going to stop.

Another scream quaked from Raph's body.

Finally the torture ceased. Raph fell against the table, his head jerked up by Shredder's tight fist.

"Never. Again." Anger. Rage. Furry. None enough to describe what burned in the Jonin's eyes that moment. Raph couldn't help but feel victorious. Had he enough strength, he would have laughed.

His vision blurred as his head rolled in Shredder's grasp. His brothers… had he protected them? Would they be safe? Please… let them be safe.

Mikey. Donnie.

"Leo…"

His world went black.


Silence.

Dead silence.

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

The scream that tore through the prison moments ago was gone from the air, but it echoed in the turtle's ears. It had been a cry of pain like no other. Raph's pain. What had they done to him? What could possibly cause their brother to cry out in such a manner? Donnie had a few ideas, and every one of them made him sick. Mikey's mind was no better, playing the moment Raph took his place over and over again, haunting him. His stomach was twisting in knots.

Footsteps.

He was coming. His metal boots clanging against the concrete floor, shattering the stillness of the air.

Leonardo stood and listened, his eyes narrow. "He's back." The words jostled his 2 brothers from their thoughts, forcing them to stand in anticipation.

In fear.

The 'what if's' that stormed through Leo's mind were terrifying, shaking him to his core. He took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Stay calm. Keep it together. Whatever happened, whatever he'd done, Leo would remain in control.

The door opened as the footsteps entered the room, echoing through the hall.

The brothers held their breath.

Shredder moved with such confidence, an air of dominance radiating from his every strut.

Leo glared, eyes locked on his enemy. "Where is he?" His voice a low growl, already betraying his calm with a flicker of anger. His brothers' eyes darted, trying to spot their missing sibling, desperation choking their every thought. Where was Raph!?

Shredder's eyes turned to Leo, dancing with arrogance. "Anxious to see you all, I'm sure." With a nod of his head, the cell beside Leo was opened. "Bring him in."

Foot soldiers came into view, dragging a body behind them.

Watching in satisfaction, a small smile crept behind his metal mask as all eyes left him to stare at the body. All except Leonardo's.

Mikey couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his throat at the streak of blood that dragged behind his brother. Fear gripped him tighter than it ever had before as he fought to keep himself from shouting Raph's name; they couldn't let Shredder see.

Donnie pressed closer to the bars of his cell, desperately searching his brother's body for injuries, but he was too far away. The blood on the floor sent a shiver down his spine as he silently begged whatever higher-power-may-be that it was fixable. His stomach churned as he stared at the blood. Raph's blood.

The eldest glowered, eyes fiery with contempt. It took all his strength to remain standing where he was and not reach for Shredder's throat, but the anger that flared across his face was unhindered.

"Leadership is influence. Look where yours has led them."

Leo felt guilt stab at his heart, but he remained stone-faced, slamming the feeling back down in it's hole.

Turning to leave, Shredder couldn't help a small, wicked chuckle at the 3 ninjas, all now staring at him with tempered defiance. He could see the panic behind their masks of contempt.

He could see Leo's fury.

He'd finally struck a nerve.

The door slammed behind him, ringing in the brothers' ears as they tried not to allow their emotions to get the better of them. Anger, exhaustion, pain.

Fear.

Leo dropped to a knee pressing his head against the bars to get as close to his brother as possible. Donnie's eyes still searched, trying to find signs of life.

"Leo, is he—"

"I don't know." He listened a moment, fear gripping his body at the prolonged silence "I-… I can't hear him breathing…"

"No…" Donnie's eyes were wide, his breath caught in his throat. This couldn't be happening… this couldn't be real.

Mikey couldn't take it. He grabbed the bars in front of him, staring at his brother's crumbled body as he called his name, desperate to hear a response. His breath ceased to come, waiting with anticipation for a reply. A grunt. A moan. Anything!

"Raph? RAPH!"

Silence.

Dead silence.


And that's how it all went down. Now you know.

This was hella fun to write. Probably too much fun.

Don't judge me.

End of Line.

-TRAaP