DISCLAIMER: do not own the turtles, only the story plot line.

WARNING: maybe a bit out-of-character for the turtles, but once again, this is how I imagine them to be. Also, there may be some blood, torture, angst, etc…but hey, it's my story!

WARNING #2: THIS WILL BE A VERY BLOODY/GORY/SAD CHAPTER. IF ANY OF THAT YOU DON'T LIKE, PLEASE DON'T READ. There. I warned you. Now if you do read it, don't write any flames, 'cause it was your choice to do so. Oh, and I love Leo, he's my favorite character. But I have a horrid habit of putting too much of my soul into the character and then boom! You have a bloody/gory/angsty story. Anyways, I think that's it. Yeah.

ITALICS ARE DREAM-SEQUENCES OR MEMORIES.

Hey! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait!


Leo groaned. His muscles were sore. Dimly he wondered how'd he tell Master Splinter that he didn't want to train today. He was too tired and hurt too much.Suddenly, his ears picked up something big shifting. Leo's eyes shot open. It wasn't Splinter.

In front of him sat a huge white dog, licking at its fur.

Leo blinked before realizing that he was lying on a couch, on a make-shift bed. Blinking, he looked down at his shoulder, all the while keeping one eye on the dog.

His shoulder was bandaged, and treated. So where his other wounds.

The dog, hearing him shift, turned its head back to look at him. It's lazy, brown eyes stared into Leo's fearful blue one.

The dog then let out a yawn, before laying its head down onto the floor, still watching the creature in front of him.

Leo hesitated in moving. He quickly remembered what the dog did, and he knew that even though it was acting nice, it could be mean.

Leo cocked his head. He had to get out of here.

Slowly, he shifted towards the end of the couch.

The dog watched him with curious eyes, almost as if telling him that it wouldn't work.

Leo suddenly hopped off the couch and landed onto his two feet before hissing in pain.

The dog jumped up, and began barking.

Leo hissed at the dog, before making a break towards the door, forgetting for a moment that he was injured.

The dog jumped over him and blocked the door. It barred its teeth at him. Leo hissed at it, but backed away, inching towards the window. The dog saw this and jumped before the window.

Leo hissed again, and the whole thing repeated again, until the dog had successfully backed him into a corner.

There, Leo collapsed, completely drained and in agony. The dog stood a few feet from him, still barring its teeth at him.

Leo hissed at it, almost daring it to come closer. But the dog didn't come closer. Instead it began barking.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, and Leo pressed against the wall, knowing that he was trapped.

The door swung open, and a man stepped in. Leo immediately recognized him as the man who'd tried to shoot him earlier. Leo hissed at him.


Bruck growled in annoyance. The stupid dog was barking again! He had a killer headache and that did no good to soothe it!

He stomped towards the living room, intent on finding out why the bloody dog was barking. Opening the door, he stepped inside, and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a low, threatening hiss.

Blinking he looked around, before his eyes caught the small green turtle huddled in the corner, hissing at him.

Fang sat down, still keeping one eye on the turtle, before whining.

Bruck blinked again, before sighing. "Stay." He ordered the dog, before looking at the turtle. "I ain't gonna 'urt you." He said rather roughly, reaching towards it.

The turtle hissed even louder before snapping at him. Bruck quickly jerked his hand away. "I said I ain't gonna 'urt you! When I say that, I mean that!"

But the turtle just backed more into the corner, still hissing.

Bruck sighed. "You're 'urt. C'mon. I know you can understand me! I 'eard ya talkin' to your bros!"

The turtle stopped hissing, before cocking his head. It stayed silent for a minute, before finally speaking in a low, almost inaudible tone. "And? That doesn't mean I can trust you."

Bruck blinked. So it CAN talk. He wasn't imagining things after all! "I bandaged you, I 'elped you. Don't ya think that means somethin'?"

The turtle chuckled. "No. It just could mean that you want to sell me in tip-top shape."

Bruck shrugged. "If I tell ya that's not true, ya ain't gonna believe me, right?"

The turtle cracked a smile. "Maybe you aren't as stupid as you seem."

Bruck blinked before realizing that he had just been insulted. He roared with laughter. "I guess I should be insulted, but I'll just ignore that comment. Now get back into that damn bed. You're still 'urt."

"I know that." The turtle snapped. "But how do I know that you won't gut me when I'm asleep?"

Bruck laughed again. "You're a bright one, aren't you? Guess you're just gonna 'ave ta trust me!"

"And if I don't?"

"Well then! You're gonna be in for a rough night, you……thingie."

"Leo."

"'uh?"

"The name's Leo."

"Well then. Night…Leo. Weird name."

"Not as weird as calling you not-so-stupid-human."

Bruck laughed again. He was beginning to like this turtle…this Leo. "Name's Bruck."

"Night not-so-stupid-human-Bruck." Leo repeated, cracking a sly smile.

Bruck rolled his eyes. "Shut up and get in bed, will ya?"

"Doesn't mean I trust you."

Bruck shrugged. "Your decision, not mine. Now SHUT UP!"


Leo blinked as he awoke again. Blinking, he realized that someone had removed him from the couch and placed him onto a bed. Leo frowned. At least he wasn't dead.

Although he hated to admit it, he was beginning to like this Bruck guy. But he reminded him of Raph a little too much.

Leo jolted up, before hissing in pain again. Raph. How could he have forgotten? He needed to find them! They could still be in danger!

Leo bit his lip before clambering down the bed. His legs and muscles were sore and hurt, but his brothers were more important.

Quickly, he made his way to the door and tried to open it. To his horror, he realized that it was locked.

Leo's eyes widened as he whirled around, his body searing in new agony at the sudden move; and he as he realized that there were no windows or any other exist in the room.

"NO!" Leo yelled, before whirling back towards the door, almost crying at the pain. He began pounding on the door, yelling for someone to let him out.

After a minute (which seemed like a good hour) there were running footsteps and the door was slammed open and Bruck stepped in, looking a bit disheveled, and pissed.

"WHAT THE 'ELL YA DOIN'?" He bellowed, but Leo just tried to run past him.

Bruck grabbed the little turtle just as it tried to shove past him, and threw him back into the room. Leo landed onto the floor hard, yelling out in pain as his wounds reopened.

Bruck shook his head in realization. "My god! I'm sorry! But what in the bloody 'ell ya tryin' to do?"

Leo bit his lip as he tried to control his rage and pain. "My brothers…." He gasped. "WHERE ARE MY BROTHERS?"

Bruck froze. He'd forgot all about them. "I guess they're on their way to New York City…I think…" He said without thinking. Then, realizing he just said that, he looked down at the turtle, who stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes, before fainting.

Bruck slapped his hand onto his forehead. "Damn."


Leo opened his eyes to realize that he was back on the couch again. "Can't he decide where to put me?" He murmured, before realization hit. "My brothers…" he whispered, feeling guilt and sorrow wheal up in him.

"Raph…Don…Mikey……I'm so sorry!" He whispered, before doing something he hadn't done in years: he began to bawl.

"Aw, shush now. I ain't mean what I said!"

Leo started at the new voice. Embarrassed at being caught crying, he quickly wiped away the tears and looked down at his hands.

Bruck sighed. Somehow it hurt him to see this creature crying. "Look…it was only a joke. I ain't know what 'appened to 'em!"

Leo felt rage. "THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU TELL ME THAT? DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOOSE SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU!"

Bruck visibly winced. Leo immediately felt shame. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "I don't even know…"

Bruck stayed silent for a few minutes, watching the turtle sniffle, before asking, "Do you want breakfast? There's toast and some coffee."

Leo looked up at him surprised, before smiling. "Toast would be great. But I'm not a coffee drinker. Do you have tea?"

Bruck wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. That dried up grass? Nah. That's just disgusting to put grass into water."

Leo laughed a little, before wincing in pain.

"Don't move a lot. You've managed to reopen some wounds. I'll bring breakfast 'ere."

Leo smiled a little, still wincing at the pain. "Thanks."


"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Bruck almost dropped the piece of toast he was holding. "Wha?"

Leo sighed as he repeated the question.

Bruck studied the turtle in surprise. "Why ya interested?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Well, since it is ME we're talking about, I have the right to know why I'M being kept here, alive and well, instead of in a cage?"

"Why? Ya prefer a cage? I got some in the back…"

Bruck trailed off as he noticed the glare. Damn…He thought. He can even glare like Floyd! Scary…

Bruck shrugged. "Just 'cause."

Leo studied the human for a little while before sighing. "I guess I won't get anything out of you now, so I'll drop the subject. But tell me one thing."

Bruck looked at the turtle confused, waiting.

"Is that human standing next to you in the picture your brother?"

Bruck, this time, really did drop the toast. "Wha?"

"The picture…" Leo hinted towards the picture in the frame sitting on a small table next to Bruck.

Bruck's eyes flickered at the picture, even though he knew what was on there. He and Floyd when they were still really young. He hesitated, before looking back at the turtle. "Yeah."

Leo nodded, before dropping the subject.


"LEO! LEEEEOOOOO! LEE-OUCH!" Mikey winced, rubbing the back of his head.

Raph glared at him. "YELLING FOR HIM AIN'T GONNA SUDDENLY MAKE HIM APPEAR IN FRONT OF US!"

"So? WHAT IF HE'S HURT OR SOMETHING?" Mikey yelled back at Raph, trying to keep tears from falling. They had been searching in the cold for a good five hours for Leo, but they hadn't found him yet.

All of them were tired, angry, pissed, and very worried. It also didn't help that Raph was taking it out on them.

"MICHAELANGELO! RAPHAEL! ENOUGH!" Splinter barked.

Both of the turtles winced before looking up at him. Splinter sighed. "Donatello. Come. We've done the best we could."

All three turtles started at this.

"Master Splinter! You don't mean!"

"We're leaving Leo?—"

"But—"

"He could be near!—"

"Or"

"ENOUGH." Splinter barked again, before looking sadly at his sons. Mikey began to bawl.

Splinter sighed as he saw his other two sons getting close to crying as well. "We'll search tomorrow…I promise…" He soothed gently. "But right now if we don't get home, we'll freeze to death, and then who will help Leonardo?"

Don and Raph exchanged glances, and even Mikey stopped crying. That was true.

Raph growled. "But we're getting up REAL early in the mornin' to search for him! Right?"

Splinter nodded. "Yes, my son." Until then, He prayed, please be safe, my son…


'kay. That's it for now! Tune in later!