Author's Note: Hi there, I Thank you for waiting. We all worked hard on this chapter and we think you'll like it. Enjoy

Chapter 25: Found

Swiftly the brothers had managed to sneak inside one of the large crates without being noticed by any of Bishop's men still working on the docks. They all seemed to be rushing around, trying to keep to a tight schedule. The few men on board however were not so lucky. Most of the men on the ship were guards, guards with nothing else to do but stand in one place and look around. Two things Leo didn't particularly appreciate at this moment. The guards would stand no chance. The mutants patiently waited as they were transported and secured onto the deck... They were never seen as they slipped out, breathing in the salty night sea air. Nothing was heard as they silently moved in between the large metal crates. The guards never saw the silhouettes against the night sky leaping over their heads... And all the loud and busy noise from the docks drowned out the silence that was quickly falling over the cramped open deck.

One by one guards disappeared from their posts, yet even after a quarter, then a half, than a third had vanished no one felt any need to report a sighting of one of their own being snatched away into the shadows that were bleeding out between the many crates! No. No one saw or heard anything. All the guards shared together now was the similar experience of meeting a green fist and the glint of something silver! The green was just a blur, and then there was pain. A lot of pain. A small whimper accompanied by little lights popping in their eyes. The next thing any of them knew was darkness as they felt their limbs been roughly tossed on top of a pile of other missing co-workers. More pain, this time with the cringing sound of metal scraping against metal before complete and total black out, alerting the barely conscious guards that they were in fact locked inside one of the boxes they had just brought on board.

Making short work of the guards the brothers had cleared enough of a path towards the back of the ship for them to search for an entry point that could take them below deck. But the ship was huge! Donnie could be anywhere on here and despite Hollywood's best wishes they couldn't scout the entire vessel without being seen or running out of time.

Keen to avoid meeting anyone else striding through the doors they instinctively went for the ventilation shoot to avoid detection. Unlike the large square shaped ones that could be found at the top of a building, these were light steel sheet trunks that stood fixed like a large curved horn attached to the base of the deck. It was barely big enough for their shells to fit down.

Normally on a mission such as this, the brothers would have spent hours planning. Looking over blueprints, counting the numbers of people they would either take on or find a way to avoid. But again, that was always Donnie's role. He would spend hours hacking into a system security, downloading data and drafting out plans that were so startlingly simple they could be considered genius. However now they were without Donnie. Without blueprints and an eye in the sky. No... All the remaining brothers could do now was wing it and hope they would stumble across him without running into trouble... yeah right!

Mikey, being the smallest, quickly made his way down first to check if the coast was clear. "Oh Shell!" His voice echoed back up to Raph and Leo about 5 seconds after disappearing from view down the black tube. "This thing goes all the way down, through all the decks... but there's a big fan half way ... It's not turned on right now, but it's caged over... Don't see how I can get passed it? and it's pretty loud down here too, sounds like... machines?" Mikey informed them.

"If the gate wasn't there, could we get passed the fan?" Leo called down after him. Even in a low tone his voice seemed to echo down the fog horn much louder than intended.

"I think so... The blades are wide enough... But it would be tight and if they start, we are sliced and diced turtles on a skewer!" With that happy image Mikey's head popped back up the large horn before hopping out.

The blue clad turtle cringed at the image Mikey painted before looking at his hot-headed brother. "Think you can remove it with your sai's so we can get down to the next deck?" At this request Leo was sure he saw Raph go a slight paler shade of green.

"Sure!" Raph spat sarcastically. "Was really hoping to get stuck down one of these again today... As long as there's NO bugs down this one!" He whined pushing them both aside before climbing and sliding down into the tube where Mikey had just returned from. Determined to ignore what could easily turn into a fear, he allowed his body the slide down the chute with only his palms and feet to control the speed of his descent. "Don't know why we're even talkin' bout this." He grunted leaning pressure onto his weapon and smiling as the thin cage cracked dramatically.

…

"Hey bros, I don't think we thought this through." Raph moaned after he had slid himself in-between the flat iron blades and out of the ventilation system. Mikey and Leo soon followed, landing onto a narrow steel walkway constructed from tight crisscrossing bars. Being able to see through the floor you stood on was an odd experience. But worse it was dangerous for detection. Quickly the three of them cautiously crouch walked over to a short railing that looped around the raised metal walkway. From this position, they could see that far down was a large room with clearly not enough space for what it held, the place was systematically covered in large foreign looking equipment. The separate machines were all similar in design, with the same spray painted dark blue coloring. Thick pipes, large and small, twisted out, down, and away from these machines and fed into one big metal tube lying across the center of the room. The boys may not know much about machinery, but it didn't take a lot of brain power to guess that they were standing high above what they assumed was an engine room. The humming noise coming from it was an almost deafening buzz, and the heat seemed to rise up in waves.

"That must be the very bottom deck down there?" Leo said looking over the side. The distance from where they were was a lot higher than it looked from the outside. But worse the walk way they stood on broke off to at least 9 to 10 different exits, all of which possibly lead to several different levels. The design and structure of it was disorientating, they didn't know which door led to the back or the front of the ship... Heck they weren't even sure which way was left or right in this open mechanical labyrinth.

"How the shell are we supposed to find Don in this? We don't even know where we are!?" Raph yelled, raising his voice above the noise blowing below them.

"Wait there's a location sign here..." Leo noticed behind him. "AFT... Starboard walkway... I am not sure what that means... I don't speak ship... but Starboard means either the left or the right... I think... AFT... that must be the back since we were at the back of the ship when we came down the vent..." He had to speak loudly with each word to be heard above the racket of the engine.

"Well that is fascinating Leo. Thank you. Good to know that we can barely navigate ourselves around this place, so even if we did know Donnie's location, we wouldn't know how to get there!" Raph hollered.

Leo glared. "Well here is something else that is fascinating... If this is the engine room, someone is going to come along sooner rather than later, so let's get out of here first." He said pointing randomly toward the first heavy water tight door they saw.

"Aye aye captain." Mikey mockingly saluted before making his way across the metal bridge.

….

"Ok that says D4... That must mean Deck 4? mmmm ok... and the arrow is pointing that way to what is called … the 'Bow'? What does that mean? Is that leading to the back of the ship, or the front?! Wait I remember this from TV. The Stern means the back... so is that another word for AFT?... Oh shell! I don't know where we are." Mikey's breathing came out hard and ragged as the three of them entered a new and quieter room that seemed to only consist of multiple staircases spiraling upwards along the wall. It gave the space a sort of box like feel. The engine room didn't go higher than deck four, if they wanted to get higher, this was the room. The three of them sprinted up the steps, trained hardened ninja muscles tensed and protested as the brother's pushed themselves. But the stairs seemed to go on forever.

"This is pointless... We are flying blind here..." Mikey feeling more and more over whelmed. "If Donnie was the one searching this place you know what he would have done?! If Donnie was here we would have a map with the exact location of whatever we were looking for... We would already know what all these signs meant from the one hundred and fifty thousand hour "crash course" ... and... and security all shut off... Oh shell...we are never going to find him."

"Really NOT helping Mikey." Raph snapped.

"Let's just all calm down. We don't have Donnie right now but we can still try and do what he would do." Leo thought a moment. "Ok check the doors, were looking for a floor with a wide space, maybe something that could be for storage." Leo said his mask turning damp with sweat.

But every urgent minute grew more and more desperate as the brothers became more and more frustrated. They made their way up each deck, stopping to open every door to every level they passed. Not at all sure which one they should search first. For all they knew they could have passed Donnie several times already. They never would have known because whenever they glanced out the doors at a new floor all they saw were identical corridors, with the same blasted faded tan hallway mirrored on all four sides! Without being on the open deck it was impossible to know where exactly they were, and soon the ship would be ready to leave! Searching while trying to avoid the crew as it sailed away would take hours! They weren't going to make it... oh shell! This was NOT happening!

"Which... which way are we facing now? I mean which way is the front of the ship because I can't tell which is the left or the right side?" By now even Leo was too disorientated to know their own location, never mind Donatello's. As time got further and further away from them mad panic forced its way into place.

"I can't believe this! I can't BELIEVE we are already lost! We live in the sewers but this place is a freaking maze!" Raph spat looking over the side at all the different levels. But then he quickly had to dive backwards from the railing, yanking his brothers back along with him. Five men entered the stairway just a few decks below them. The ninja's scampered real manly like up to the next level and pressed themselves against the wall before they could be noticed. But like the metal walkway before the entire staircase and its balconies were completely see through. They couldn't just back away from the railing, they could still be seen.

Looking about quickly Leo gestured for them to hide behind some pipes that ran up through every floor. The pipes were hot to the touch and there wasn't much room for the three of them. Green scaly skin began to redden whenever forced to close to a pipe. And the dim emergency lighting was disorienting. It was overall just plain uncomfortable, to put it mildly. But admittedly the lights and tight quarters helped the mutants hide. Although if the humans below did look up and stared very closely they might still be able to notice three dark figures through the bars of the walkway. But the hiding spot was better than nothing.

Luckily the men were too distracted to look anywhere but at each other. There was plenty of frantic discussion and wild hand gestures. The narrow metal stair case acted as a perfect wind tunnel, bouncing every word being said directly up to the brothers. It only took a moment before they realized who was actually talking in the center of the small crowd.

They froze at the familiar angry voice of Agent Bishop. Well at least that part was confirmed. This was Bishop's ship!

"At least 13 men have not reported in from the top deck Sir... and the last radio contact was 12 minutes ago." The first guard said, a smaller man who had been rudely pushed forward by the others behind him in an act of self-preservation as they watched their bosses' frustration grow. Bishop was used to people cowering to him, but normally they were strapped down to a dissection table at the time. His human men he held in higher regard. But by the look Bishop was giving them a dissection table may very well be where they were ending up. The man's composure was cracking. And it was a worry.

"No one and I mean NO ONE leaves their post without an order!" Bishop shouted, stopping himself from yelling profanities. Breathe in, breathe out, the agent told himself. Even if his anger was not dissipating he had to think clearly. His emotions did not rule him! They guided him, nothing more.

Above Bishop, with new heart hammering hope, the brothers leaned closer, keen to hear a hint of which direction they needed to go. "Put everyone on high alert. Search the ship and report back to me…. I have a bad feeling." The agent said stewing in his bad mood as he was hit with the sudden realization that his security wasn't as water tight as his ship.

"Sir?" His assistant said, praying that Bishop wasn't going to make an example out of him. "What do you mean?"

It was impossible... Bishop had convinced himself that it was impossible for the turtle's clan to still be alive, let alone here... But 13 of his men deciding to take an unauthorized break at the same time was even more impossible. Every man that served under him knew how the agent dealt with incompetence... worse betrayal. Loyalty was all that mattered to Bishop, and he never made it a secret that if any of his men betrayed that oath they would receive one warning shot... to the brain! No, Bishop would bet his secretly cheap grocery store sunglasses that it was an outside source causing the problem. Hopefully it was just some petty grudge holding Foot soldiers, and not those retched turtles! The very thought of the mutants being here was, too unacceptable. No. He couldn't afford to take any chances. "Tell all the men outside to get the rest of the crates on board and everyone get to their stations, ready for departure. I want the turtle out of the city before midnight."

'The turtle!'

A switch had been flicked and just like that all frustration suddenly disappeared and everything became still and focused... almost like the world had stopped turning. The tidal wave of emotions were summed up perfectly just by the look in Mikey's eyes. Reflecting the two older brother's distraught delight, coupled with a complete and healthy fury toward Bishop! Donnie was here! Their brother was here and alive after all.

Seeing his little brother shake Leo gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Raph on the other hand was already fantasizing about what he was going to do to the government agent... One of his regular beatings would not satisfy him this time. No, his normal beat down was going to be like a relaxing Tai massage in comparison... but not right now. Not till they had found Donnie. It was taking a lot of will to remain still, and Raph silently congratulated himself on his own restraint.

"Baxter still has him in the lab. I want you four down there to Transfer him to the infirmary. He's not going to survive this trip without treatment."

Baxter! As in Baxter Stockman. He had Donnie in... in a lab!? Of course. Who else would it be? Leo meditation techniques were something he drew on regularly to remain focused, but when you hear your brother is in a lab with a man who you happen to know is a mad scientist who was obsessed with recreating a scene from a hack saw horror movie... it was hard to remain calm. A swirling myriad of dark thoughts rushed through all the brothers' minds about what could have transpired in that lab at the mercy of someone like Stockman.

"He won't put up a fight. Baxter already inserted the muscle relaxants. That should last for another day... and I already instructed him to give him a sedative just in case. Just make sure NO harm comes to him. Understand!" Bishop said, practically barking out his orders. "However, I want restrains on at all times. And I want guards posted inside and out of the infirmary."

"Yes Sir." The guards chorused. Moments later there was the sound of many feet quickly heading back down the staircase. Whereas Bishop started heading up towards them. He was just a floor below the brothers when he pulled out his phone. The Brothers listened closely resisting the urge to confront the agent as he alerted the mad scientist that four of his men were on their way to mid-ship to collect his prize. With a silent growl the mutants held their breath until the agent had left, presumably heading for the top deck to find his missing men. Bishop was so distracted he didn't even notice the three turtles hiding in the rafters as he ran passed them.

Upon the door slamming shut the brothers exploded into action. Leo led the way, taking the opportunity that the elongated balcony provided to thrust himself up and away from the wall. He soared silently over the railing, landing on the bottom step of the lower deck. "Let's move!" He ordered. With stealth, the brothers quickly went in pursuit of the four guards heading towards the lab.

But unbeknown to them they were shorter on time than they realized.

"We're coming Donnie!" Mikey shouted spontaneously with a new spring in his silent step.

Leo and Raph responded with two hearty "Sshhhhhhhs!"

….

Yes, Baxter knew it would be foolish for people not to be afraid of someone like Bishop. He was calculating, disproportionately dangerous, and grossly ambitious… However, in Baxter's mind it was intelligence that proved worth, and no matter how dangerous a man was, or how smart, he was smarter. Everyone should be terrified of him, Baxter Stockman, even more. Quoting his boss's earlier statement to the freak, he saw himself as the power behind Bishop's throne.

But now he was being replaced with this ….younger freak! The nerve of Bishop. The nerve of this stupid turtle standing in between him and his destiny. This mutant didn't just need to die... He needed to be dissected until there was nothing left! …. If only he could instead tie him to a lab table. He would relish in every scream as he sliced him up. Unfortunately, he would have to settle for a heart attack or a some sort of stroke like symptoms... as long as it looked accidental, and he could escape any responsibility. After all, he would be the one doing the autopsy after to find out what happened. He chuckled darkly to himself. With his ultimate consolation prize being that the way was clear for him to step into the role that should have been his in the first place. Baxter Stockman was second to no one.

Just a few minutes after Bishop had left them in the lab, the agent called back to say that he was sending four men to transport the mutant to the infirmary. If he was going to end the turtle's life he would have to do it now, but still he had to be able to cover his tracks. With effort Baxter forced his dark burning hatred back into his little box, his face was framed with cold calculated civility as he faced the turtle once more.

"I may not be able to do any ninja kicks like you can, but let me tell you something, one genius to another... you couldn't even hope to match my superior intellect..." He sneered. "You're just a fantasy to Bishop. Something young and brilliant he can brainwash and make into a pet of his own. But he doesn't know you lot like I do. I would be saving him from making a mistake. Besides I have waited to long for an opportunity like this just to be pushed aside by a teenager! A green mutant freak!" The doctor spat full of malice. "We made you murder your own clan. I know you're going to stab us in the back the first chance you get!" His voice echoed.

"Well at least you're not entirely stupid Stockman." Donnie agreed at that last part.

Begrudgingly he then stormed over to the medical cabinet pulling out a dark box. The mad scientist made sure to come back and stand right in front of the tank just so the turtle could see what he was doing. Why did Baxter have to do everything so dramatically?

The cold water was really making Donnie shiver in his shell, it made his eyes blurry and sting, but he could still see what Baxter was doing? Out of the box he presented an abnormally large syringe, filled with a dark blue liquid.

Donnie didn't like the look of it, and he really didn't like the way the scientist was looking at the syringe then at him as though he was trying to make his mind up about something. "A light sedative just won't do... No, this stuff is strong enough to knock you out for the next month." His lips curled back into a nasty smirk. "In my opinion, I should just kill you and be done with it... I mean you are most likely the last of your kind…" He smiled slyly as though this was the best news he had heard all day. "After all I did warn Bishop how dangerous it would be to give you such a concoction."

Donnie froze. He could see where Baxter was going with this.

"It wouldn't be my fault if you were to have a reaction... particularly if I get a little careless and there was an air bubble in the syringe." He said while pulling back the ejection away from the nozzle, allowing a pocket of air to fill the tube. "And just a few minutes of me turning your air off should be enough to make certain."

Oh god! Baxter was really going to do it! He was really going to murder him right here! He wasn't a doctor, but even the basic knowledge of a medic would know that injecting an air bubble directly into the blood stream was an instant death sentence. An air bubble entering a vein would cause a venous air embolism, attacking either the heart or the brain, depending where it got to first, and even if he was taken to the infirmary right after, it would be too late.

And a powerful sedative mixed with another sedative he was still waking up from, mixed still with the muscle relaxant that was actively paralyzing him... But typical over the top Stockman had to make triple sure by cutting off his oxygen as well. That would make his lungs panic and heart pump the blood faster around his body... assuring the air bubble would reach its destination that much faster. He wouldn't even get the chance to drown... It didn't take a genius like Don to know that he was leaving this lab the same way he came in.

In a box.

Donnie couldn't help it. Though a large part of him was expecting this for what he had done, he still couldn't help the panic consuming him. Despite his muscles feeling frozen Donnie still tried yanking on his binds. He knew it was a pathetic attempt and that he was quite helpless.

For a moment Baxter hesitated. "Since I am about to take his life, I should really say something nice." The mad scientist thought. He may have always been a sore loser, but he was nothing but a graceful winner. "It will be quick, I promise... but you may feel some pain, but if it's a comfort, the dead don't tend to remember. You and your disgusting reptiles will all be back together soon, if you believe in that kind of thing." The doctor said calmly placing the injection needle into the long tube running outside the tank. "I guess out of all your brothers, you're the one I hated the least… but the truth is I have never been good with competition."

"If you're trying to be kind, could you just stop talking please!?" Deep down Donnie may not have been ready to depart this life just yet, but he really didn't want to depart it having Baxter Stockman's voice full of spite and vanity as the last thing he heard.

"Well good-bye Donatello. This will be the last time you feel any pain." And that was the extent of the mad doctor's nice side for the day.

Donnie had stopped struggling. He knew there was no point. Through the glass he watched the syringe needle being attached to his IV... Knowing that his life was just about to end…. Even submerged in the water he could feel the familiar choked feeling that came from crying, along with an uncomfortable pressure in his temple. Not for himself, but for what he had done. For his fate, maybe it wouldn't be so bad…this is what he deserved…Shell, in a way Stockman was doing him a favor by ending it all. Maybe he could earn back his brother's and father's forgiveness in the next life. That is, if fate allowed him to be with them after all he had done to them.

"Good bye everyone…I love you." Was the last thought when, through the swaying glass Donnie suddenly notice three bright green figures were making their way through the door, coming up behind Baxter…. Wow! For once Baxter was telling the truth, he had been quick... and he hadn't even felt any pain as of yet.

…

Baxter didn't know what had hit him, only that it had hit him hard. The syringe was knocked out of his hands as it when flying across the ground. Next his head was smashed hard against the glass. His glasses cracked on impact as did his nose. Blood instantly started gushing as he felt his body been roughly lifted up and tossed off to the side. The sharp crack of his forehead made him feel sick. Everything was spinning so much that he hadn't even realized that he was on the floor. For one horrid moment, he thought Bishop had somehow silently walked back into the lab and caught him about to murder his prize, but it was worse as he saw the green hands and heard the angry growl surrounding him as he hit the floor. He looked up to see the shadows dripping from their terrifying features. They were alive! They were alive! But how…. how had they found them?!

"GET THE SHELL AWAY FROM HIM!" The red one screamed in his face.

"Donnie!" the childish orange one yelled rushing over towards the tank. "Donnie bro can you hear me?" but he didn't respond.

"You've got 5 seconds to tell us what you've done to him!?" The blue one... the leader, hissed. Baxter gasped as he felt the sharp tip of the turtle's sword brush lightly against his neck. A moment of silence passed as the scientist was too scared to even move his lips... but a moment was too long. The nasty red one grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up to his feet and shoving him hard against his desk.

"Answer him or I will break your worthless neck scumbag!" The red finished.

"Guy's Donnie, he's out of it!" Mikey's worried voice broke the two brothers away from the madman. Their brother just seemed to be floating there, staring at them quite confused. His eyes disorientated as he seemed limp in the water. "Bro please. It's me. It's Mikey. Wink at me if you understand!" Mikey touched the glass, but then flinched away. "Dude's this is cold. Like REALLY cold... You've turned my brother into a turtlesicle!" He said giving the doctor a dirty look. It wasn't a look Mikey gave out very often, but when he did, somehow it made you feel like you had just drowned a puppy.

Raph's grip on the doctor tightened. "You've been keeping him in a freaking freezer you monster?!" Raph growled pushing his face even closer into the human's personal space until the man recoiled.

Leo was already by the tank as though to check that it really and truly was his brother in there. He... he hadn't killed him! He knew he should be feeling better by this fact, but the state Donnie has been found in obliterated any comfort of that. At this moment Donnie looked more shocked than any of them did. Leo looked back at Baxter with a glare that could freeze hell. "Don't you even think of going anywhere Stockman! We haven't even started with you yet!" The mutant said in a threatening tone he had never heard himself say before. But he wasn't surprised by it, he was so angry. His look had the desired effect as the man seemed to try and shrink away in Raph's grip even more. Leo turned back to quickly assess the state of his missing brother. He couldn't seem to decide what to react to first. He so wanted to just shift all the blame onto Baxter and Bishop for everything that had happened. Donnie had just been a puppet in all this... But if that was true, they had been the ones who had made the strings, and Donnie had unknowingly handed his control over to them... No, he couldn't think about that right now. He was alive, that's all that mattered.

Leo leaned closer. Judging by his eyes Donnie was doped up just like Bishop had said. He was just grateful that they had knocked the syringe out of Baxter's hands before he could do any more. "I'll ask you again. What have you done to him?" Leo asked just as dangerously as before, but the intimidation was working to well. Baxter seemed to have become frozen to the spot with fear. Leo rolled his eyes at the pathetic man. "Let's get him out of here." He and Mikey stepped closer to the tank trying to think of what they could do. Concern then quickly replaced his anger as Donnie seemed to look almost... dead in the water.

"D...Donnie. Can you hear me? Don't worry we are getting you out of here... just... hold on." Leo said, but wasn't at all sure that Donnie could still hear him. Before he could think any further Leo only had a few seconds warning before he heard his hot-headed brother's familiar growl. Leo had to quickly push Mikey aside as the red clad turtle suddenly charged at the tank like a raging bull.

"Raph I don't think -" He said, but it was too late. With all his might, the angry turtle had thrown his entire body weight against the glass in hopes of smashing it, freeing his brother from his cage. Sadly, it didn't even scratch it. Raph bounced back, crashing to the floor with a painful and frustrated expression.

"I think we might need a new plan." Mikey suggested – suddenly a loud alarm sounded, cutting off all other thoughts and communication. Panic hacked through them like a buzz saw! The turtles hissed as they looked back towards the scientist. Raph had, without shame, punched the man in the stomach and tossed him to one side before charging the tank. That had just given the scientist long enough to crawl over to his desk and reach under it to press a button. A classic Baxter move. Their cover was blown! 10 seconds hadn't even passed before heavy footsteps could be heard coming in their direction. A further 5 seconds before the lab doors were pried open and two dozen guards came flooding into the room, Bishop not far behind.

A/N: Hope you Like. Now things are heating up, especially since they are going to be confronted by Bishop. Well you'll find out what happens next time. Thanks for reading so far.