Notes: I just want to give a BIG Thank You to my readers for the support and kind reviews. I can't tell you how much it builds up my courage and confidence with my writing.

Chapter 10 - Desperation and Distractions

As Deborah caught up with the group, Robert glanced over his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows.

"You coming along then?"

"Uh, yeah. I think I am." She was about to ask where exactly they were going when a thin guy in the front spoke up.

"You owe me ten bucks, Joe. I told you the girl soldiers love this shit." The guy name Joe only mumbled.

Robert smiled and had no right to look so handsome as he said what he did. "They're gonna tear him apart in the cage. You know, I was against drugging him. Didn't think it was fair."

Deborah swallowed back bile and forced what she hoped to be an interested and enthusiastic smile at him as they stumbled along to the elevator. If he had the ability to read her mind at that moment he would've crapped in his pants.

"We would've never got him there without a fight," said the guy named Joe. "I heard one of them was a hardass and by the look of this one's build," He hefted him up and got a better grip on Raphael's arm. "I'm guessing it's him."

They crowded into the elevator. Deborah stood stupidly outside looking in like a lost puppy.

"Use the stairs," Robert nodded at a door near the elevator. "Go up three flights, come to the red door and then find a seat. I'll find you inside, okay?" He finished with a big grin that Deborah wanted to tear off his face. With all the willpower she could muster, she tilted her head and gave a sweet nod and wave.

The door closed and she dashed to the door, pulled it open and took the steps two at a time. As she climbed higher the sound of music became louder and louder. The walls vibrated with it. It distracter her, the louder it grew. Robert's words bounced and echoed in her mind along with the beat. They're gonna tear him apart. Her heart sank.

She thought of the irony that the best night of her life had been on this very roof, those precious seconds when she looked into those eyes. The sadness there, the fear and the small spark of hope; she read all this in those deep green eyes. Inside she'd felt a joy she'd never known before then. The entire world changed in that instant. Amazing and wonderful possibilities, magic and mystery, hope and beliefs that were beaten out of her soul so long ago reawakened while she gazed into him. She blinked back tears. She had to save him somehow.

Panting, she paused outside the door to the third floor hallway. Placing a hand on the door, something about the music made her stop. She looked up the stairway. The room shifted a little like some small change just happened, but she couldn't figure what it was. The beat pounded around her, insistent. The main floor was up there. It was forbidden for any soldier to be there. That's where she needed to go. The nightclub. Before she could stop herself, her hand was on the stair rail. It was cold on her skin. Wait, what was she doing? The dark sensual beat answered. It called to something deep inside of her and she could not refuse the summons. Slowly she placed one foot then the next on the stairs and climbed to the next floor. Her head felt heavy and dizziness played around the edges of her vision.

She pushed open the door and the hypnotic music thundered around her and enveloped her as she slipped through. Flashing lights and the general sound of bodies dancing lured her closer. She moved along the dark hallway and peered through a beaded doorway out over a sea of people writhing and dancing. She jumped as someone put their hand on her shoulder. She spun around to find the gorgeous soldier from the auditorium standing next to her, very close.

"Hey, Deborah, right?" His voice spilled through the music like cream through coffee. His eyes sparkled in the laser lights as he took in her face. She swallowed and nodded, feeling her body grow warm.

"I guess I wasn't the only one curious, huh? We're not supposed to come up here, you know. But that music...that sound..." his voice trailed off and his eyes clouded. Then said this more to himself, "I had to check it out."

She stared stupidly at him, feeling her mind blur. The music filled her head with lights and sound and she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Wasn't she going somewhere? There was something she had to do...something important...

"You want to...?"

He took her hand and numbly she let him. His fingers were smooth and cool against her skin. Desire fluttered through her like scattering birds. They moved into the crowd that swelled and accepted them without a break. The music swallowed her. She closed her eyes as it took her. Thought replaced by feeling. Logic replaced by desire. The beat matched her heart as Gorgeous danced close to her body. He touched her arms lightly and she raised them over her head. She moved closer to him. A giddy feeling flowed over her as their bodies pressed together, apart, and together, with the people around them doing the same. Like the lungs of a great beast, they expanded and contracted. And Deborah lost herself in it.

As the men pulled the bag over his brother's head and dragged him from the room, Leonardo felt his legs go weak as all hope drain from his body. When the woman came in that Raph seemed to know, he foolishly thought they'd finally be able to make an escape. But everything happened so quickly. She left them, still helpless and chained. Then those soldiers were hitting Raphael, and then one of them had a needle. Leonardo closed his eyes, his head hung low, as the image of the man injecting something into his brother's neck replayed in his mind. He fought back the frustrated tears that burned his eyes. Now, separated from his brother, Leonardo despaired. He swallowed back a sob. A noise made him raise his eyes. The black uniformed soldiers entered the room, the wretched woman in white followed.

"Terrific," he breathed, eyes bright with unshed tears.

She stepped swiftly to him and wasted no time in bringing out the silver blade. The guard handed her the small bowl. She said nothing as she brought the bowl up and under the side of his neck. Hunger, exhaustion, and fear had taken its toll on him and he struggled only weakly as she bent the blade to his jaw and cut into his skin. He closed his eyes with the pain of it, but made no sound. His blood flowed warm against his skin and into the bowl from the small, but deep wound.

Once she had what she needed she had one of the guards hold the bowl up chest level to her. She whispered into it. He watched blearily as her fingertips stroked the edge of the bowl. The contents began to glow a soft red, casting her features in strange shadows, making the gold of her eyes spark. His blood began to jump upwards in tiny pearls as she continued her spell. The scarlet pearls bounced and danced before her face. Faintly he heard a tinny sound that seemed to be coming from them. She stopped. His blood settled back. She turned a hungry gaze at him, smiling coldly.

"Perfect," she purred. "Now..."

She placed her hands on either side of his face and worked her fingers under his mask, slipping it off. She closed her eyes and concentrated. He felt a slight tremor inside his head as she probed, searching for something. He'd seen enough episodes of Space Heroes to recognize a telepathic search. He did his best to keep his mind a blank slate, terrified that despite his effort she'd be able to discover the location of their home. He was sure that that was what this was all about; their capture, their torture; to try and locate Splinter. But the Mistress sought something else.

"Your thoughts," she murmured, "oh, so innocent. I only need something..."

Suddenly, an episode of Space Heroes appeared in the front of his thoughts. It was the one where Captain Ryan had visited a planet and made contact with a female alien with green skin and hair. He was captured by her people. But he later escaped by seducing the alien female with a deep kiss. It wasn't his favorite episode, but there'd been something about that moment, that scene with the kiss, that filed it away in Leonardo's subconscious. He felt a tugging sensation as the Mistress seized upon the memory. As it pulled, a streak of pain shot through his head and he couldn't stifle his cry of pain. She released him and pulled away. A smirk upon her face, she laughed softly. Leonardo panted and swallowed.

"Ah, I have what I need," she said to her guards and turned to leave. "The preparations are made. Take him up to the roof for the ceremony!" She called as she left the room. The four guards came at him and he braced for the chance of escape.

...

Tyler counted to ten after the Mistress exited the corridor before he moved. He didn't have a plan as he rushed into the cell. He only knew he promised Deb he would try to do something to save the mutant. He stopped just inside the room and for a few heartbeats took in the scene before him.

The four personal guards of the Mistress had unchained the turtle. Two guards held his arms pinned back behind him. There was blood on the side of his neck. He struggled against them. His growling, thick and low, filled the air. It sounded like Tyler stepped into an angry lion's den. He kicked and bucked but the other guards were too fast. They moved in and struck him again and again across his face and body avoiding his retaliation with ease. He was losing strength with each blow he endured.

"Let him go," Tyler shouted into the fray and his voice was steady, strong.

Four masked faces turned in unison toward him. The turtle's knees shook as his feet slid against the ground trying to gain footing. The two holding him threw him down. He fell in an exhausted heap.

Tyler put up his fists. His feet shifting to a fighting stance. They came at him. They attacked from all sides. The two in front throwing swift kicks at his head. He blocked, left, right, and ducked. Crouching he came up fast with a right hook. The guard block it as another landed a solid punch into his side. Tyler crumbled and hit the wall, gasping. Another came at him, fist aimed for his face. He pulled back, dodging it. The fist struck the bricks making a deep cracked indention.

Panting, he spun with a round house kick. Before it made contact his target grabbed his ankle and twisted. Tyler's body followed and he fell to the floor, scraping the side of his body against the brick wall. His head slammed down painfully. He rolled to his side, facing the wall, as they kicked at his stomach and face, the blows now hitting his back and back of his neck. Bright explosions of pain erupted in front of his eyes.

He heard a grunt and a scuffling as he labored to regain his breath. He blinked rapidly, clearing the tears from his vision. He saw the turtle fighting the guards with stumbling effort. Even in his weakened state, Tyler could see the turtle fought with everything he had. Tyler winced as a guard landed a side kick to the turtle's stomach, knocking him back against the wall. They fell on him savagely.

With shaking shoulders, Tyler pushed himself off the floor. With a scream, launched himself into one of the men, knocking him over and off the beaten captive. With a frustrated howl, the guard spun out from under Tyler. He grabbed Tyler by the shoulders and slammed the back of his head against the bricks again and again. Something wet and hot spread across the back of his skull. Dazed, Tyler felt consciousness slipping.

Before the darkness took him, Tyler saw the guard's mask contort and twist. Where a man's mouth should be, the mask split open. Long black fangs glistened and a forked tongue lashed out as the creature let lose a growling hiss into Tyler's face. Darkness swallowed him.

…