A/N:Sigh. Raphael, will you ever learn to control that temper?
Sorry I made you all wait for an update. Things have been pretty crazy here on this end of the wires. I am hoping (fingers and toes crossed) that the next chapters will come at a faster pace.
I want to thank all of those that have gave input to this chapter. Mikell, Harm. I appreciate your honesty and help !This chapter was brutal to edit let alone write! Diva Danielle, thank you so much for your insistence that I post once more :D. Made up dreams and Scribe. Thank you so much for your reviews! Snow 246. Thanks for the review as well. I will keep my head under my desk until this story is finished. LOL. For all of those that have followed this fic silently, you rock as well!! I see the numbers. It's very incouraging! WIthout faithful readers, I may have abandoned this fic long ago.
Okay. Allright. On with the fic! I hope you all enjoy.
(FYI: I do not discourage reviews :D )
Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT.
Betrayed Secrets~Chapter 7
It was a long time before Ava found the strength to pick herself up. After gathering Raphael's sai, she slowly trudged back into the apartment. Her heart plummeted at the sight of her home. The kitchen table was overturned, and the chairs were scattered. Numbly, she walked into the living room. The couch was pushed across the room, the coffee table was knocked over and nachos and pizza littered the carpet. Stuffing from the over sized chair Donatello had been sitting in was stuck precariously between angry slashes from Raphael's sai.
"What have I done?" she was she going to face April, Casey and Master Splinter? She never thought about the repercussions of her actions. She was going to have to continue lying to those she loved the most. Instantly she hated herself more than ever. Exhausted, she went to her bed and cried until her head ached and she fell into a restless sleep.
Her faithful alarm clock woke her at five o'clock the next morning. She turned her head to look out the window. The sun was already rising. She rose to a standing position and robotically moved towards her bedroom to start getting ready for work. Her stomach flopped at the thought of it. But she had no choice. With her Mother not working, they needed the extra income more than ever.
She went through the motions of getting ready. Ava changed into her uniform, not caring that it wasn't perfectly ironed. She went to the bathroom and washed up and brushed her teeth. She pulled her hair into a sloppy ponytail before she turned to leave. She didn't even bother bringing a lunch. She knew it would be pointless. She had no appetite. Then she remembered Casey.
"He is the last person I want to see right now," she muttered and searched for the phone. With shaky fingers, she dialed the phone number for April's apartment. The familiar female voice answered on the fourth ring. She told April that she already had transportation arrangements made with a co-worker.
I hope that holds them off for a bit, she thought when she ended the conversation. She had no immediate plans to visit them.
^V^
Raphael was the first to awaken feeling horribly groggy. His eye lids slowly fluttered open and he stared out at his new surroundings. Immediately he was reminded of the anger he possessed before he was taken down. It filled his soul once more.
It wasn't until he instinctively reached for his sai when he realized he had been stripped of his few possessions. His mask, his belt, and his sai, were all gone. The only thing he wore was a metal band secured around his ankle. It was painted an angry shade of red.
"What the hell?" he grumbled. He rolled over onto his stomach and rose to his knees. He stared out through the rungs of the cage that confined him. In three separate cages were his brothers. They were all still asleep.
"Guys? Hey guys!" he called out to them. He had to know they were okay.
Mikey groaned"What happened?" Clumsily, he rolled over onto his shell.
"We've been captured," Raph snorted. "Duh."
"Leo?" Don spoke, instantly looking to his older brother for advice. "Where do you think we are?"
Leonardo scanned the room. Where were they? He thought of the uniforms the men wore that took them down. They were pure black clothing, perfect for blending into the darkness. However, on their sleeves golden letters were branded. A familiar logo was also stitched on the left side of their shirts.
"My guess we are at--" he paused briefly as he mulled over the only explanation in his mind. "The zoo."
Raph growled. All three sets of eyes turned to him and waited for his explanation. "We were doubled crossed."
"Double crossed?" Mikey echoed.
Donatello frowned. "Ava," he stated.
Raph nodded. "Bingo."
"But she's our friend. Why would she do this to us?" Mikey argued.
"Mickey, don't be such a chowder head. It's obvious, ain't it?" Raphael shot his brother an impatient glare.
Uttering a sad sigh, Mikey dropped his eyes to the floor. "She promised she would never tell anyone. She pinky swore."
Raphael turned his attention to Leonardo. "So now what, Fearless?"
Leo sat down into a lotus position. "I don't know," he admitted.
As if on cue, the heavy steel door swung opened.
"Well, you finally woke up."
Raphael snapped his head in the direction of the male voice.
"Who's there?" Leo demanded.
From the shadows stepped the owner of the voice. The man's dark eyes gleamed with interest, and a grin was spread across the tanned face. He was flanked by two of the men, Bruce and Richard.
"Well, this is interesting. You speak too. Your value as prized trophies just tripled," Victor said, as he stopped inches away from the four turtles.
"What kind of nut job are you?" Raphael demanded. "One of those mad scientists?"
Victor chuckled as he shook his head. "I am not a scientist, per se. I am the owner of the South Side Zoo."
Raph crinkled his nose "If you knew what was good for you, pal, you would let us go," Raphael warned, turning his attention back to Victor. "I don't take kindly to cages."
"Now, now. Don't you worry your big fat green head. You will be treated well here. I guarantee you will like it." Victor furrowed his eyebrows and his attitude did a complete 360. "As long as you are compliant. No funny stuff, no futile attempts to escape. I want total co-operation," he hissed. "Do I make myself clear?"
Raphael just responded with a snarl accompanied with a deadly glare of his own.
"You really think we will obey you?" Leo snapped.
"Yeah. We ain't your little pets,"Raphael added.
Victor chuckled. "We shall see. All in due time."
"Let. Us. Out. Of. Here!" Raph demanded, as he pulled at the bars.
Victor looked at Raphael thoughtfully. "Hmmmm....." He looked to his partners. "Please. Would you two do as our guest wishes?"
Bruce shot his boss a confused look. "Sir?"
Victor turned and started to walk away. He stopped just a few feet short of the doorway.
"Bring the turtle to me."
Bruce looked over at Richard. The lumbering man shrugged his square shoulders before he retrieved a long pole with a noose at the tip. Bruce armed himself with a post as well.
"Okay, shell back," Richard snarled as he unlocked the cage door slowly. "Nice and easy. No tricks."
Raphael glared at them. "Right... nice and easy. No tricks. Gotcha," he mocked. He stood in the center of the cage, muscles flexed and ready.
Richard removed the lock and cautiously opened the door. Both men focused their eyes on Raphael, ready to react at the slightest flinch. Raphael waited until both men were inside and within easy reach.
Bruce stuck the pole out first, trying to snag Raph with the loop on the end. He immediately realized his mistake when he was greeted with Raph's evil grin.
"Now is that any way to treat a guest?" he quipped. Within seconds, he quickly reached for the pole and gave a yank. Bruce flew forward, landing on the bottom of the cage with a thud. Richard quickly made his move. Raph used Bruce's pole to block Richard's attack before he stepped into a side kick, slamming Richard against the side of the cage.
"Go, Raphie!" Mikey cheered.
"Now what were you saying?" Raphael snapped, as he looked at the two men lying on the floor. "Don't worry guys. I'm getting us outta here." He leaped out of the cage and charged for Victor. The man stood perfectly still.
Suddenly, Raph was stopped dead in his tracks, as if he had slammed into an invisible wall. He fell to his knees and gave Victor a bewildered look.
"Raphael!" Leo automatically called out in horror.
"What the...?" he muttered. The smug smirk on Victor's lips encouraged him to try another attack. He slowly picked himself up and charged again. Once more he was dropped to the ground by some unknown force. He clawed at his neck. The pain seemed to erupt from the collar that he bore.
"So you don't like my little piece of jewelry?" Victor questioned, as he watched Raphael struggle to regain his strength.
"What... was.... that?" Raph panted furiously.
"That is my little safety feature. You see, all over this compound lies underground fencing. Those collars you and your brother's wear are all connected to them. Once you cross one you will get an electric shock. So any plans of escaping are gone. "
"Not good," Don gasped.
"Hah. That was child's play. Just like a bee sting." Raph shot back.
"Now, it is yes. But the setting is turned down low. Trust me. I will be resetting them," Victor promised.
Raphael mashed his teeth together as he stared at Victor with pure hatred.
Victor rubbed his black mustache thoughtfully as he watched Raphael's muscles ripple with fury. He knew the animals would be displeased, but he never dreamed of the magnitude of their anger. He had clearly misjudged them. He waved Bruce and Richard over once more. Cautiously, they obeyed. Raph remained in a crouch position as they advanced towards him, ready for round two. Again he waited for the perfect timing for an attack. When they were close enough, he dived at their legs, instantly tackling them both down in one shot.
"I can see you are going to be difficult," Victor sighed. He pressed on a button of the remote he had confined in his jacket pocket. Raphael instantly dropped to his knees
"NO!" Leo called out, helplessly. "Leave. Him. Alone!"
"You will pay," Raphael panted, determined to get the last word in.
"Tsk, tsk. So naive." He turned to the other three turtles, who were watching the show with terror evident in their eyes. "Let this be a warning to you all." Victor grew tired of the banter. "I shall visit when you are in a better mood," he told him as he turned his back to the fuming turtle. "Until then, I would get used to your surroundings if I were you. This is your home from now on."
"That's what you think!" Raph spat back.
But Victor wisely chose to ignore him."Take him downstairs so he can be alone." He waved at the assistants to take Raph away. When the frustrated turtle rolled his eyes in Victor's direction, he added, "When you learn better manners, then you may join the others. Until then...I think you will have plenty of time to think about that attitude of yours."
From behind him, Mikey remarked, "Yeah. Right. Manners and Raph do not fit in the same sentence."
"Michaelangelo. This is not the time," Leo snapped. "Victor. You better not hurt our brother. Or I will..."
"Or you will do what?" Victor shot back. Within a few swift steps, he was standing in front of Leo's confinements. He locked deadly stares with Leonardo.
Leo didn't answer. He couldn't. He was a leader without a plan for the time being.
"Thought so," Victor smiled. "Now. Like I advised. Get yourselves comfortable. You will be here for a long time." He turned and left the room.
"This is all Ava's fault," Donatello muttered bitterly.
Michelangelo glared at him. "I'm not convinced it was her."
"Don't be an idiot," Donatello shot back, fully annoyed with his younger brother.
Mikey shook his head, stubbornly. "I am not convinced it was her idea."
"Michaelangelo," Leonardo sighed. "Face it. She had her means."
Mikey plunked back down on the floor and turned his back to his other brothers. He wasn't going to give into the idea that their friend turned into a heartless traitor. Arms folded, he stared at the wall. "I'm not talking to either of you."
"Mikey...," Don started again.
"Don, let him be," Leo advised. "Let's not spend anymore time arguing. We got to work together on a plan."
Don nodded. "So. Do you have one yet? Because right now I have nothing."
Leo frowned. "No."
Don sat back against the cool steel bars. "Where do you think they took Raph?"
"I don't know," Leo shrugged. "But they better not hurt him."
"If anybody would be hurting is them!" Mikey blurted out. "He is really angry right about now."
Don rolled his eyes. "Mikey, I thought you were not going to talk to us?"
Mikey's face fell. "Oh shell," he cursed himself. "And you're right. I am still not talking to you guys. Starting …. now... so there... don't even think about tricking me into talking... because ... I won't..."
"Then why are you still?" Donatello questioned, raising an eye ridge.
Mikey glared at them. "It starts now!" He turned his back on them once more.
Donatello and Leonardo exchanged frustrated glances.
"Maybe I should talk to him," Leo sighed.
"And get him to break his no talk pact? Don't you know it is wrong to force a turtle to break his code of honor?" Donatello replied. "The silence will be golden."
Leonardo nodded. The silence would be golden. And without his younger brother's constant babbling, he may be able to come up with a plan to get them all out.