Leo's injection hadn't worn off yet. Most of it had, but the tail end still lingered. He'd been hanging there for hours with nothing to do but deal with it as it persisted. The burn was just deep and constant enough to make lights and dark shapes flutter through his vision, so when natural light began to stream through the ceiling on the other side of the room, it took him a moment to register that it was steady. It was real. He was still wondering why it was there when Donnie dropped through the light, landing on the boxes below.
"He's here," Donnie whispered, and Mikey dropped down, too.
"No," Leo breathed. He'd meant to shout it, but simply didn't have the energy.
The two of them approached cautiously, then hovered behind the boxes on the edge of Leo's space. Donnie nearly collapsed against the boxes in relief when he saw Leo's eyes. "You're alive."
"Leo…" Mikey said quietly with astonished disillusionment. He had not been prepared for blood. Or chains. Or the way Leo stood as though it hurt too much to raise his head all the way.
"Don't worry, buddy, we're getting you out," Donnie said, easing out from his cover. He drew his staff and laid it on a box for easy retrieval later. More likely than not, he'd be carrying Leo out of here, and it would only be in the way.
"No," Leo tried again, at least finding the strength now to speak above a whisper. "Don't stay for me. He'll catch you."
"It's okay," Mikey said, smugly raising his nunchuks into the air. "We can take him."
"We're getting you out, Leo," Donnie repeated, then knelt to pick the lock on the cuff around Leo's ankle.
Leo winced as the cuff rocked briefly against his leg. "Just make sure he doesn't come up behind you. That's how he got me."
Mikey nodded and kept watch. Donnie smoothly released Leo's feet, careful to keep from touching the deep cuts around his ankles. When Leo's feet were free, Donnie moved to the cuff around Leo's wrist, but had some trouble with the sway of the chain. He eased his hand around Leo's arm for leverage, but Leo suddenly cried out, causing Donnie to jump back as though he'd been bitten. Leo's eyes closed tightly as he flexed and unflexed his hand to try to shift the gnawing pain away.
"What happened? What did I do?" Donnie asked, backing up even further.
Leo seethed through his teeth for a moment, trying to regain enough calm to answer. When he did, his words were heavy with incredulity and a hint of shame. "He injected me with something that amplifies pain."
"But… did I hurt you?" Donnie asked, confused and feeling desperation blanket around him.
"Even minor contact…." Leo looked away.
"We can't touch him?!" Mikey worked to keep his voice down as he expressed his shock.
"I'm sorry, Leo," Donnie concluded after a moment. "But we're getting you out. Just try to keep it down, and I'll try to touch as little as possible."
Leo nodded and closed his eyes in brace, trying to ignore the pain still present from the injection and preparing for its crushing aftereffects. Donnie pursed his lips in caution for a moment before continuing to pick the lock. Leo flinched every time the cuff shifted against his skin, and occasionally even let out a grunt that made Donnie jump.
When Leo's hand was finally released, he fell instantly, and Donnie lurched forward to catch him on his back. Leo sucked in his breath at the impact and whimpered unbidden grunts into Donnie's ear, spurring Donnie to work quicker on the final lock.
Mikey kept seeing shadows move, but when nothing came out of them, he realized he was just spooked by finding Leo in this condition. He closed his eyes briefly to rein it in. Okay, chill, we're fine. Leo will be okay. We can get him out, and whatever's out there, we can fight off.
Donnie's work was hindered by Leo's free arm wrapping tensely around his shoulder, but finally, the cuff released and Leo's arm dropped into Donnie's hand. "Okay, I've got him, Mikey. Let's go."
"But isn't Raph here?" Mikey asked.
"No," Leo said, his voice breaking as testament to the pain cascading through him.
"Are you sure?" Donnie asked, resisting the urge to bounce to shift Leo's weight.
"He never said…." Leo paused, and he took a deep, fragmented breath before asking, "Why isn't he with you?"
Donnie looked unwilling to answer, and Mikey hesitated, scared of Leo's reaction. "He disappeared looking for you."
Leo slowly lowered his forehead into Donnie's shoulder. "Get him out first," Leo said.
"We're not leaving you here," Donnie said.
"And I'm not leaving him here," Leo countered, his voice dangerous despite his weakness. "Put me back if you have to. I'm not leaving until you find him."
"That's ridiculous," Donnie retorted.
"We don't even know he is here," Mikey injected a little meekly. "Even you have no evidence that he is, and Raph mentioned the Purple Dragons before he disappeared, so they probably have him."
"We already tried that, Mikey. If they had Raph, they would have taunted us with him," Donnie reasoned.
"Or turned him over to Shredder by now. We just took their word for it," Mikey objected. "But they're our strongest lead, and we don't have much time to debate this. Let's get Leo out and come back if we still can't find him."
"How can you even suggest that?" Leo protested, anger beginning to strengthen him. "Look at me! You really want to risk leaving Raph in this? Who knows what he's been doing to him!"
Mikey got close and hissed, "Look, if Raph's not here, we're putting everyone in danger by searching for him and staying here longer than we have to. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but it's going to be hard enough getting you out making a straight line for the door without wandering around this whole dang place waiting to get caught, especially when it's more likely that the Dragons have him, so let's get out of here and search them!"
The fervor in Mikey's voice caught both Leo and Donnie off-guard, and Leo finally relented by glancing away. Still, Donnie and Mikey hesitated before actually moving to potentially leave Raph behind.
As they eased their way through the boxes, Leo's arms kept weakly pressing against Donnie's chest, desperate for leverage against whatever pain was racking his body. Donnie's heart shattered every time.
This is right, Donnie told himself. Raph probably isn't here, and we might lose Leo looking for him. We don't know how badly Leo is hurt; we have to get him help. This is right.
Seconds before they reached the opening into natural light, Leo choked, "Guys, wait, my weapons!"
"We'll get you knew ones," Mikey said, already stationed on top of the box to hoist himself up into the grass above them.
"No, I see them – over there."
"Right," Mikey said, jumping down and moving in the indicated direction. He approached warily in case it was a trap, but there they were, Leo's weapons. They were just laying on top of a box, hidden from Leo's previous view, but otherwise unprotected.
But Mikey hesitated. "Um, guys?" When they looked over, he raised the single, blood-rusted sai. For a moment, no one moved. Barely breathed.
"He didn't use that on me," Leo whispered. "That's not my blood."
Raph was definitely there. And he was likely dying.