Nalong - Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The same applies to Splinter, April and Casey, I don't own them either. I also don't get paid for this. I am just borrowing them and their world to play in for a little while and promise to return them when I am done. Please don't sue me.

A/N: I was just informed that this story was nominated for Best Action/Adventure in the 2004 TMNT Fanfiction Competition! Thank You! I wasn't going to post this chapter until after New Year's, but I was so excited that I had to!

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The next morning Leo and Mikey were up early. After hearing of what Don and Raph had been through they had opted to let their brothers sleep longer. Raph may have tried to hide it last night, but both Leo and Mikey knew that he was tired, and until they did something about that headache Donnie wasn't going to be much good to anybody. Every so often during the night Leo had heard him moan slightly in his sleep, some of it was probably the headache, but there were dreams too. Don had cried out more than once during the night, and those cries had been of fear or worry, not pain. Leo couldn't help but wonder what was haunting his brother so.

One of the first items of business in the morning was breakfast, so Don could at least get something to drink then. Leo could feel his blood boil at the fact that the guards had not offered his brother the opportunity to even get a drink during the past 48 hours. They might be turtles, but Leo was fairly certain that something like the rule of threes still applied: Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food, and they would die. He wasn't sure, but he guessed that, as turtles, they could probably go a little longer without air. The flipside was that, since they were amphibious, they probably couldn't go as long without water. Leo didn't like how close his brother was to that limit.

Raphael woke on his own shortly before Leo planned to wake him up, and Mikey went to wake Donnie.

"Hey Donnie!" Mikey called brightly.

"Uh huh?"

"Time to get up bro."

"Uh huh."

"No, seriously, you need to get up, up and at 'em, rise and shine and all that jazz." Mikey tried again, grabbing Don's blanket and throwing it off the reluctant turtle. His voice had its usual chipper tone and way too loud as far as Don was concerned. The purple turtle could feel his teeth vibrating with every word of Mikey's chirpy greeting. He rolled over carefully and looked his brother directly in the eye.

"You don't come with a volume control do you?" He asked quietly, and Mikey looked ashamed for a moment before noticing the laughter in Don's eyes as he continued. "I'll have to fix that when we get out of here." Task completed Mikey laughed at the joke and clapped his brother on the shell. He was a little sorry when Don flinched.

"You couldn't really make a volume control for him could you?" A now awake Annie asked as she pulled on a sock.

"I wish!" Raphael threw in.

"Hey!" Mikey objected, but the room filled with laughter all the same. It was nice to have everyone back, and for that Mikey was thankful. They were still smiling as they headed outside for their work assignments.

Raphael and Leonardo were the first to be removed from the group outside the barracks. Then a guard came along to collect Annie and Donatello, and finally Steve, Eric and Michelangelo were taken to their assignment for the day. Assuming no one got into trouble today, this evening would be spent planning a way out of here.

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Alejandro glared slightly at his flavorless malt-o-meal. He hated the stuff, but that was all they were offered at breakfast, so that was what he ate. Another workgroup entered the mess hall and he spotted two turtles coming from the food line. He called out to get their attention, but when they turned around… Well, the one was Raphael, but the other one. This one had a blue bandana, not the purple he knew Don had been wearing, and Alejandro could swear that the other turtle had been a slightly different color. "Wait, you're not…"

"Hey, Alejandro," Raphael greeted him. "This is my brother Leo, Donnie's in another group today." He explained quickly clearing up the confusion.

Leo bowed slightly and Alejandro extending a hand which Leonardo then shook.

"You have some amazing brothers. Incredibly loyal" Alejandro commented.

"We are lucky to have each other. The way Raph tells it, I have you to thank for assisting Donnie."

"It was nothing. If anyone deserved a little help just then it was him." Alejandro seemed surprised that Raphael had shared that little story.

They continued to chat through their meal. Eventually conversation turned to escape ideas. The turtles wanted to do something big. Their goal: take down the whole complex.

Alejandro was a little skeptical, but he had watched Raph and Don in the course, and Leo looked just as capable as his brothers were. Maybe, just maybe, these four turtles could be the very thing to take down the cult. That Nalong character had called Donatello the source of a river. Maybe that guy wasn't as crazy as he seemed. Alejandro promised to keep an eye out for weaknesses in the complex.

All too soon mealtime was over and the work crews were taken their separate ways. Raphael and Leonardo were led to an empty barrack. The nearest guard thrust a ladder into Leo's hands and a pointed to a pallet of shingles. Raphael groaned at seeing the roofing materials again.

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Michelangelo swung the sledge hammer high and brought it down heavily. The head connected soundly with the fencepost he was driving. As far as Mikey was concerned, if he had to be in this place working, this was the best place he could be. From here he could see Raphael and Leonardo on a roof a short way up the hill. Downhill he could also see a field and every now and then he would see Donatello haul something out and throw it on a cart. Mikey was actually semi-amused by this job, and he felt a song coming on.

"I've been working on this dumb fence" He belted, slightly off-key, to the tune of I've been working on the railroad.

"All the live long day!"

"Mikey what do you think you're doing." Eric hissed, trying to silence the turtle before he got in trouble.

"singin'." Mikey responded simply before continuing his song.

"I've been driving all these stupid posts,

Just to pass the time away."

"Shh… They're going to hear you." Eric insisted.

"Can't you hear the guards all shouting

Get back to work you mutant freaks!"

Eric finally gave up and chose to laugh at the turtle's antics instead.

"Can't you hear the guards all shouting

We're gonna work your shell for weeks!"

When the guards got too close for comfort Mikey immediately stopped singing and took another swing at the post. He did however continue to hum quietly. He hummed through the Dinah won't you blow chorus. The guard left as Mikey got to the last line and he sang again.

"Two can play at this work camp game!"

He continued singing into the next verse, which would normally have been in the kitchen with Dinah. He looked carefree and easygoing, but in truth he knew exactly where the nearest guards were at all times.

"Raph is roofing barracks with Leo!

Donnie's down with Annie in the Fields, And

I am on fencing with Eric and Steeee-eeevvveee,

And singing up a storm!"

Another guard got too close and Mikey silenced himself again, completely this time, no humming. He plowed another post home and grinned at Eric who laughed.

Steve liked seeing Eric like this. He had been worried about the young man for a while there. He watched as Mikey took another swing at a new post and missed it completely. The momentum of the hammer pulled the unsuspecting turtle to the ground behind it. Steve laughed quietly as the turtle picked himself up, brushed off quickly and proceeded to pretend that the little incident never happened.

The guards were still too close when Mikey continued singing, but he was quiet this time; only the nearest prisoners heard the next chorus.

"I'm singing Fee-Fie-fiddle-e-i-o

We're gonna get out of here I know-o

Eric snorted at Mikey's little dance and realized that Mikey honestly believed what he said. Everything was different now that these turtles had come into their lives, and Eric was glad of that. Having witnessed the return of the Raph and Don from the Course Eric, for the first time, believed Mikey's words as well. He laughed at the turtle's little song and dance. He hadn't felt this good in a very long time.

Fee-fie-fiddle-e-i-ooooooooooooooooo"

Mikey took a deep breath in preparation for the last line and shouted it out for all to hear.

"STRUMMING ON THE OLD BANJO!"

-ZAP-

Mikey felt a sharp pain in his side and he fell to his knees. Looking around from his spot on the ground he saw a guard standing over him, and that guard was glaring.

"Back to work you mutant freak." There was no trace of humor in the man's voice, but Mikey was fighting not to laugh, lest the shock stick's current be increased. He stood as quickly as he could and picked up his sledge hammer again. The fun was over for now, and Mikey sighed as he drove home another fence post.

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"Strumming on the old banjo!" The words rang throughout the camp.

Donatello looked up the hill as he heard the familiar voice. Looking up the hill he could just barely see Michelangelo getting up off the ground. He held his breath hoping that Mikey wouldn't be in too much trouble over that rather loud song. If Don could hear that line clear down here he could only imagine how loud it was up there. He released the breath as the guard moved.

A sharp crackle drew Don's attention back to the field where he was supposed to be working. Behind him stood a guard who looked none too happy with the little, unauthorized break MT 824 had been taking. Even as the shock stick started powering up Don hurried back into the field to gather up another basket.

He felt infinitely better than he had this morning. At breakfast he had finally gotten something to drink and that had done the trick, mostly, the water barrel at the field had also been visited several times by the turtle. He slipped through the fields and wondered how long he could stay out there before someone noticed that he was missing. The thought was quickly dismissed since he had been in enough trouble already this week. He'd keep an eye out for anything he came across, but opted to do as he was told for the time being. He gathered up another basket and walked back out to the cart.

Donatello knew that he had to be toward the edge of the complex, and looking up the hill he realized that, from the outside, this place probably looked like a normal farm. He imagined that the other corners of the complex were similar and that anything that might suggest otherwise was carefully hidden away in the center, far away from prying eyes. All he knew about the location of this awful place was that it was very far away from the city he called home. Throwing the basket up onto the cart his thoughts turned to Master Splinter, April and Casey. He wondered what they were doing now. Then as suddenly as every previous appearance Nalong was in front of him.

"Wha… huh? Oh, you again." Don picked up another basket and started to haul it out of the corn field.

"Donatello, there is something you must know."

"I don't have time right now Nalong. I'm being watched like a hawk today and I don't want to get in anymore trouble."

Nalong stopped at the edge of the field while Donnie went out and threw the basket on the cart. He kept walking right past Nalong who waited and caught him again as soon as he reentered the field.

"Seriously, I can't talk now." Donatello said.

"You have to know this, one of your roommates it not who they appear to be!"

This got Donatello's attention. He froze in the middle of picking up a basket.

"You'd better not be lying to me." Don threatened mildly. Their roommates were people they trusted. Don finished picking up the basket and started walking again.

"I am not."

"Who?" The question was simple and quiet, and Don expected an answer.

"Steve is one of the guards." Nalong insisted.

He was still skeptical. His brothers trusted Steve, and though Donnie didn't know the guy very well, he did trust his brothers. Donatello sighed and walked out of the field again. Nalong was still there when he got back.

"I really felt that you should know this. Steve was one of the designers of the Course. He is not to be trusted Donatello." Nalong insisted.

"How do you know this Nalong?" Don asked carefully. He didn't want to believe that Steve was one of the guards, however Nalong hadn't steered him wrong before. He sighed and knew he should at least listen to the story.

When I first arrived here 5 years ago Steve was designing the Course. He was one of the most powerful individuals in the cult. I was a prisoner at that time. I attempted to escape and the fight that resulted ended with me being part of the very first Course run in this complex."

"But I thought few had ever survived the Course." Donatello was thoroughly confused now.

"Until you and your brother, none have emerged from the course unscathed. Those who are not killed go crazy in the following days from being in the gas chamber too long. You spared the whole group that fate with your quick action."

"But then…"

"I did not survive the Course. I fell from the slicked walkway into the pool below." Nalong shuddered at the memory. Don just stared disbelievingly at the water dragon.

A noise from nearby guards reminded Don that he was supposed to be working. Quickly he grabbed up another basket and hurried out to the cart. When he got back to the field Nalong was still there.

"If you didn't survive then…"

"I am a spirit." Nalong explained. "I have been assisting those sent to the Course since I began this existence. I have also taken it upon myself to destroy this complex; however, I have no desire to harm the prisoners. I believe that you may be the key that allows this to happen."

"Why me?"

"You and your brothers might be the only ones who can." Nalong insisted.

Don watched in shock as Nalong again started at something that Don couldn't hear and couldn't see. A quick bow and the lizard had disappeared again.

Don continued to haul the baskets around for the remainder of the day, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew he would have to confront Steve, and he was not looking forward to it."

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Casey kicked the right front tire of the Battle Shell. "You stupid piece of…"

"Casey, knock it off." April interrupted as she pulled the spare tire from the back of the rig. She rolled it out onto the ground. It was full and in good condition. "Here, make yourself useful." She added, rolling the tire over to Casey where the jack and tire iron already waited. Casey grouched a little, but got the Battle Shell up on the jack. Between the two of them the tire was quickly changed and they were back on the road.

Since it was daylight, they were on a fairly busy highway and the two outside didn't really need him Splinter took the opportunity to meditate. It had been a while since he had last had the opportunity. He tried searching for his sons again, and though he could not find the turtles, he felt sure that he and his companions were headed in the right direction. Everything about what they were doing felt right, and that was enough for him.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this. I'll see you after the New Year!