'You are unworthy of a quick and merciful death, Leonardo. Before I kill you-and rest assured, I will-I will break you in every way imaginable, until there is nothing left of you for your pathetic family to salvage.'
Karai's hideous promise lingered in the inches of space between them, as Leo's fingers twitched in helpless instinct and revulsion against the thick straps that held his limbs down. He could only shift an inch, if that. He had struggled against the straps until his wrists and ankles were scraped raw, and he had nothing to show for his attempts but shredded flesh.
Karai's hand felt warm and violating as she draped it over his chest plate, her elegant fingers drumming over his quaking chest. Leo tensed, and he could not stop the tremble of anguish as he lurched upward the half inch the restraints would allow.
He snarled when Karai only gave him a mocking smirk. "So much fear, with such little provocation. Truly, Leonardo, I was expecting you to be much stronger. Was your little stunt worth this?"
Leo snapped his head into the sharp nod. "Yes."
She nearly purred in his ear, bending so close that her hair brushed his cheek. "I meant every word when I said that I would break you, Leonardo. Indeed, there will be nothing left of you to save."
Leo jerked his face away, and snarled at her, "I don't give a dam about being saved."
Leo's brave speech was interrupted into a strangled grunt. Karai struck with the speed of a viper as she wrapped both hands around his heaving throat and coiled her fingers around his wind pipe.
Leo felt his windpipe being crushed against his spine as he bucked and writhed, the choking wheeze burbling out between his curled lips. He thrashed helplessly, his neck snapping against her as he tried to wrench his head free.
He heard her gleeful cackle as the lack of air swelled up in his lungs, heavy as concrete, as his pulse pounded and the ache in his head grew into an agonizing throb. He was dying.
Karai waited until Leo's entire body was twitching as spasmodically as a crushed instinct before she loosened her grip slightly. She felt the turtle's instinctive, desperate exhalation, a sick, loud wheeze as Leo's chest heaved and his head lulled.
Leo's words were a strangled, choked whisper. "You have nothing. You have nothing to offer, nothing to threaten me with. You can do whatever the hell you want to me. You don't have my brothers, and you never will."
His eyes slid shut as he went limp.
Meanwhile, at the Lair:
"We have already lingered here too long. Gather what is needed, my sons. Quickly!" Splinter's voice was deceptively calm as he wrenched his gaze away from the gray flicker of the battered television. Instinctively, his protective gaze fell on each of his sons, worriedly. Raphael was trembling, the sai dangling from his good hand, as he worked his fingers over the handle. He looked like he wanted to impale the television. Michelangelo was fighting tears, as he stared, wide-eyed at the television. Donatello exhaled a sharp breath through his clenched teeth, as he turned on his heel and said, softly, "Master Splinter is right. We need to go, now." Donny tossed the words over his shoulder, as he hastily made his way past them.
Donny ignored Raphael's snarled threats to the television, and Mikey's feeble attempt at a joke to deflect some of the terror. He heard Splinter's sharp tone as he ordered his sons to be silent and make haste in taking only what was necessary. They would leave immediately.
Donny nearly bolted into a run as he shoved open a door and ripped open the battered nap sack he used to transport supplies whenever his brothers needed stitching up. He shoved bandages, pills, his laptop, working cell phone, whatever he could in the few minutes he dared stay. He grabbed his bow, and shut his bedroom door with a sigh. He had no idea if he would return to his room alive, and right now, he didn't want to contemplate anything like that. There was no time for it.
From Raph's bedroom, he could hear a steady barrage of cursing, and drawers being slammed as Raphael gave a frustrated snarl. Donny flinched when he heard Raph bellow out, "Donny, get in here!"
Donny gathered up what he was taking, sighing. This was no time for Raph to be throwing a tantrum.
Across the Lair, he could hear Mikey scampering around and throwing things into a battered backpack.
Warily, Donny went to Raph's door, squelching the urge to nag at Raphael to hurry.
"Raph, what do you need? Raph?" Donny glanced around the darkened room, one palm scraping the wall for the light switch. He flicked it on, and turned.
Donny couldn't stop the gasp of alarm. Raph had propped himself up against the wall, his good arm cradling his wounded arm to his plastron. He was sucking in air in harsh, broken gasps, eyes shut and withered with fingers on his wounded hand were dangling, as Raph winced and shifted.
"Raph, what's wrong?" Donny automatically reached for the bandaged arm, only to have Raph recoil from his fingers with a curt shake of his head.
"It's my arm. Damn thing hurts." Raph cracked open his eyes, and squinted at him. "I…" He grit his teeth and shifted the arm with a grunt.
"Listen. You guys…you need to leave without me. This damn thing hurts too much for me to do anything but hold you back. Get goin' before Karai and her welcoming party come."
Donny's jaw dropped open, the refusal and arguing already forming on his lips as he fought the urge to drag Raphael out by his good arm.
"Raph, don't even think about staying let me look at that arm!" Donny snapped as he narrowed his eyes.
Raphael snarled and jerked away. "Damn it, Donny, we don't have time!"
Raphael exhaled so harshly that his nostrils flared, as he clenched his good hand into a fist.
"You don't get it, do you, brainiac?" Raph said, quietly, as he raised those burning eyes to Donny. He gave Donny a bitter smirk as he slapped a palm against the wall he kept leaning on.
"If it weren't for me propping myself up, I'd fall flat on my face. Hell, my arm cramped up, so sharp and sudden that I almost hit the floor. There's something really wrong with me, and it ain't just my arm. I'd be falling on my ass right now if I weren't leaning on something. I ain't going anywhere. I can't."
