WARNING: Contains scenes of Torture and Murder.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Reunited
Down in the dungeons, Donatello knelt on the floor in his cage staring at the floor in hopelessness, in the cage next to him, he could hear Michelangelo crying and over in Raphael's cage he could see the hot headed turtle continuing to struggle against his chains, but he had stopped protesting through his muzzle and he had tears flowing from his eyes.
It was a heartbreaking sight, seeing his brothers in a broken state, and he felt he had let them down.
He, the brainy intelligent turtle who could solve almost anything and get them out of any sticky situation was at a loss. He had failed to help them escape and now knowing Mona was being used for experiments it killed him within.
It broke his heart thinking of what pain she was going through and the agony his brothers were feeling being down in the dungeon imprisoned and rotting away until their fate was decided.
Just then the doors to the dungeon opened and Donatello looked up to see three ninja being lead by one without his mask.
"How are they doing?" asked one of the masked ninja.
"They look broken" said the unmasked man "The red masked turtle has some fight left in him, but other than that, they've given up"
"Good" said the second ninja.
"The chief wants' the purple masked one, Donatello" said the unmasked man "He knows he has very high intelligence"
On hearing his name, Donatello looked up in shock.
"Ah good, he's awake" said the unmasked man, he walked up to the cage "We got some questions for you Donatello" he said "And you better answer us correctly"
Donatello backed away from the bars of the cage.
"Piss off!" he growled "I won't tell you anything!"
"Wrong answer!" snarled the unmasked man, "Get him!" he ordered the three ninja who opened the cage and stepped inside.
Donatello tried to defend himself but one of the ninja shocked him with a cattle prod making him cry out in pain.
As he did, Raphael and Michelangelo looked up and saw their brother being shocked.
"Leave him alone!" shouted Michelangelo, tears still streaming from his eyes and soaking his mask.
Raphael struggled against his chains and roared through his muzzle, but of course no-one could make out what he was saying.
The ninja dragged Donatello out of the cage and over to a chain hanging from the ceiling with shackles.
They pulled Donatello's hands behind him back then shackled them to the chain before shocking him with the prod and moving away.
All the while, Michelangelo and Raphael protested and shouted at the ninja to leave him alone but they ignored them.
"Donny!" shouted Michelangelo reaching through the bars of his cage and waving them about as if by sheer will he could reach over and help his brother.
The unmasked man laughed as he stood before Donatello and the ninja stood by a large wheel nearby.
"Right Donatello" he said "The chief has been told that you are the brainiest of the ninja turtles and he has decided to give you an opportunity"
Donatello lifted his head; he was sweating and trying to get his breath back from being shocked by the cattle prods.
"He has decided he wants you to work for him and Dr Arden in his lab, and work on the Lizard Lady and her healing abilities" continued the unmasked ninja "He believes that with knowledge you will be able to help us achieve more in our research"
Donatello was appalled. He couldn't believe that the Foot were requesting that he help in torturing Mona for her healing DNA, making him hurt his own adopted sister for their research.
"How can you ask me to do such a thing?" he spluttered "I'll never help you!"
The unmasked ninja glared at him.
"I knew you'd be difficult" he said, he turned to the other ninja and nodded. At his signal they began to turn the wheel and Donatello felt himself get lifted up by his wrists behind his back.
As they lifted him higher, Donatello screamed in agony as his arms were pulled up behind him, he stretched his toes trying to touch the floor as they lifted him higher but the higher they lifted him, the more his shoulders felt they were going to pop right out of their sockets.
Raphael and Michelangelo watched in horror as their brother was being tortured.
"Leave him alone!" shouted Michelangelo "You cowardly bastards!"
Raphael again roared and shouted through his gag.
Donatello screamed and yelled in agony for several seconds before the ninja slowly lowered him down to the ground and Donatello was able to place his feet on the floor.
"Now" said the unmasked Ninja "Are you going to co-operate or are we going to have to convince you more?"
Donatello looked up at the unmasked ninja and glared.
"No" he said bravely, he remembered how Splinter had told him about how his Master Yoshi never let loose his tongue under torture when the Shredder had tortured him before finally killing him.
"I'd rather die!" he spat.
"Very well" said the unmasked ninja, he clicked his fingers and the ninja turned the wheel again lifting Donatello off the ground causing him to yell in agony.
"No use screaming reptile!" said the unmasked ninja "No-one's going to help you, let alone hear you"
As he smirked up at the tortured turtle, he suddenly heard a slashing noise and the sound of something falling with a thump to the floor.
As that happened, Donatello felt himself drop to the ground like a stone. He landed on his feet but he fell to the stone floor gasping in pain over his arms.
"What the hell?" cried the unmasked ninja, he looked towards the ninja by the wheel who were laying on the ground in pools of their blood and decapitated!
The unmasked ninja pulled out his sword and looked around, but he couldn't see anyone in the dark dungeon.
"Who's there?" he snarled "Come out and fight like a man! Before I stick a blade in your belly!"
As he looked around, he suddenly cried out in shock then looked down to see a long katana blade sticking out of his stomach.
"Not before I stick you first!" came a low growling voice.
The unmasked ninja choked coughing up his own blood before he collapsed on the ground sliding off the blade as he went.
Donatello gasped in shock at the dead ninja; he then looked up and saw someone standing in the shadows placing his weapons back on his back.
"Who are you?" he choked as he tried to get his hands free from the chains. For all he knew, this was a maniac who wanted to kill him too.
"Show yourself!" he demanded. The figure placed one foot forward and stepped into the light revealing himself to be Leonardo.
"Leo?" gasped Donatello, not believing his eyes as he looked upon his big brother "Leonardo?"
Leonardo stepped forward towards Donatello and held up the keys he had swiped from the dead ninja.
"Yes" he said "It's me Donny" as he stepped over to Donatello, Mona appeared from behind the wheel holding her war fans that were dripping with blood showing she had killed the ninja.
"Mona!" cried Donatello "You're ok!" Mona ran over to assist Leonardo in freeing Donatello.
"It's ok Don" she said "We'll get you out of those Shackles"
After a few seconds they got the shackles off and Donatello moved his shoulders making sure they were ok and not dislocated.
"Are you ok Donny?" asked Leonardo "We saw what they did to you!"
"I'm ok" said Donatello, he then threw his arms around Leonardo and hugged him close "Oh Leo, we thought you'd never come back, we missed you so much"
"I missed you too" said Leonardo as he hugged his younger brother back, he then pulled away slowly, "Where's Mikey and Raph?" he asked.
Donatello pointed to the other end of the dungeon where they could see the other two cages.
Leonardo and Mona then helped Donatello to his feet and they ran over to the cages so they could free Michelangelo and Raphael.
As soon as Leonardo ran over to their cages, he felt his heart shatter at the sight. Seeing Raphael hanging from his wrists and neck and with a muzzle over his mouth and Michelangelo chained to the wall by his neck was heartbreaking.
"Mikey!" he called through "Raph!"
Mikey looked up, his eyes were puffy from crying and he had bruises around his neck from where the shackle was.
"Leo?" he questioned looking at his big brother. He rubbed his eyes as if he was having some hallucination and that Leonardo would fade from his sight.
Raphael also looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of Leonardo. He instantly muffled something through the muzzle.
"Hang in there guys" said Donatello "We'll get you out of there" He turned to Leonardo ho gave him instructions.
"Don, you free Michelangelo" he said "Mona and I will free Raphael" Donatello agreed and ran into Michelangelo's cage to free him.
Meanwhile, Mona and Leonardo went into Raphael's cage. Mona started crying at the sight of Raphael, the way he was muzzled and chained up so tightly he could hardly move and his wrists, neck and ankles had blood running down them due to his struggling.
"Oh Raph" Mona sobbed "What have those bastards done to you?"
Raphael's also had tears in his eyes as he saw Mona and pulled against his chains so he could get near her.
"Stop struggling Raph" said Leonardo "we'll get you free"
Raphael stopped struggling and Mona carefully removed his muzzle whilst Leonardo unlocked his shackles.
As soon as he was free, Raphael gasped at having the muzzle taken off and he instantly collapsed into Mona's arms and the two lovers held each other for a while.
Meanwhile Donatello helped Michelangelo out of his cage and they both hugged Leonardo with smiles and tears at seeing their big brother return.
"We missed you so much Leo" wept Michelangelo "Please don't ever leave us again!" he hugged Leonardo so tightly the blue masked turtle could scarcely breathe.
Leonardo didn't care though, he was just happy to have found his brothers and Mona and that they were still alive and ok.
After a few minutes, Raphael let go of Mona and looked up at Leonardo.
Donatello, Michelangelo and Mona waited with baited breath as Raphael stood and faced Leonardo.
Leonardo felt his stomach twinge a little in worry, he could no longer see the cuts he had inflicted on Raphael, but he wondered if Raphael was still furious with him.
The others continued to watch as the two looked at each other for what seemed like ages, until suddenly Raphael lunged at Leonardo and grasped him tightly in a hug.
Mona, Michelangelo and Donatello stared at them and Michelangelo's jaw dropped.
Raphael squeezed Leonardo so tightly it seemed he didn't want to let go, as if something would snatch him away if he did so.
Leonardo was shocked but he hugged his hot headed brother back.
"I've missed you Leo" Raphael said as tears streamed from his eyes "Even after everything, I missed you so much! I love you big brother"
Leonardo felt tears stream from his eyes too as he hugged Raphael.
"I'm so sorry Raphael" he wept "I'm sorry for everything, for hurting you, for devastating the family,everything I've done"
Raphael didn't reply but continued to hug his brother.
"We thought we'd never see you again" he said.
After a while the two turtles parted and looked at the other three.
"Ok, we got to get out of here" said Leonardo, he handed everyone their weapons which he had found by their cages and drew his katana.
"But how do we get out of here?" asked Michelangelo "There are Foot soldiers everywhere! And the Foot's new boss is merciless!"
"Then we cut down whoever gets in our way!" growled Raphael "We'll tear them apart!"
"I'm with you on that Raph" growled Mona "I'll make them all suffer for what they did to you!"
"Ditto to that" snarled Raphael. Donatello gripped his bo staff and looked at Leonardo "Let's do it" he said.
"Right" said Leonardo gripping his katana "Ok, we stay close together and if any Foot soldiers or anyone tries to stop us, we cut them down!"
"Got it!" said everyone grasping their weapons.
"Ok" said Leonardo "Let's move!"
So the Turtles and Mona have been reunited and Raphael and Leonardo have reconciled.
But what will happen next? Tune into the next chapter for Ninja Action!
