Author's Note: Added a little more to this chapter, just cuz the next one will be really long if I didn't. Enjoy. And thanks for the reviews! You don't know how much they mean to me.

Chapter Rating: PG-13, for mild language and descriptive violence.

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF HORROR AND ANGST. PLEASE BE ADVISTED.

CHAPTER TWO

He didn't know how long or how far he had been moving, but he knew exactly when he stopped. The momentum threw the weight of his body forward when the cage rolled to an abrupt halt, making him swing excruciatingly slow back and forth. A part of him wished the cage was still moving – at least it was an excuse for spinning in his head.

Sweat was beaded heavily across his brow, and a drop trickled into his eye to irritate it. He couldn't read the writing across the large, steel doors in front of him, but he could make out a Japanese character above the writing – the mark of the Shredder. The dragon doji.

This place was a base of operations for the foot. Wherever he was.

He was so cold. But his insides felt so hot; He was boiling. The drug the Turtle had been injected with still stung under his skin, but he was gradually becoming more alert.

He was now in a large room. A stock room. He must've passed at least three dozen foot soldiers on his way in, and that was when he didn't have to close his eyes to keep the bars of the cage from spinning. The Turtle could feel their eyes on him and smell their aggression; Their trained hatred for him. It made nausea rise over him, but he forced the threatening bile back.

He forced the weakness back.

The cage stopped again, throwing his body into another agonizing sway. He could feel the skin and hidden bones of his wrists grinding painfully against the metal manacles, and prayed when the drug finally did wear off, he could still properly use them. Distantly, the Turtle noticed the ninjas who were escorting his cage moving away, and with a furrowed brow he tried to remember what was going on.

He was a prisoner, he knew that…but where were his brothers? Where was Idania? And what the hell did those foot soldiers drug him with? It made it so he couldn't think about something for more than a few seconds before his thoughts trailed off into nothing. It also made the mildest noise almost ear-splitting.

Somewhere in this giant stock room someone was banging metal on metal, and there was what sounded like an air compressor rumbling and spitting nearby. He could hear people talking all around him, and their voices rattled his aching eardrums. Every sound he heard echoed obnoxiously in the Turtle's skull, and slowly a throbbing headache made its way across his frontal lobe.

"…Wake it. It can't appreciate our efforts if it's drugged."

He knew that voice. It was SO familiar.

The Turtle's attention abruptly shifted to the ninja's hovering around his cage, pulling on his bars. He opened his eyes briefly to try and see just what was happening, surprise quickly widening his opened eyes when he realized the foot soldiers were removing the bars from his cage. His arms were still shackled to the top of the cage, and his feet to the bottom, but the bars were gone. At least, that's what he thought – his vision continued to fluctuate in and out of focus before his eyelids grew too heavy.

Feebly, the Turtle strained to move his limbs, but a fiery sting in the crook of his elbow stopped him. It burned a lot like the first time he was shot with a dart, and forcing his head to loll back, he saw an identical dart embedded in his skin.

Now what?

The agonizing tingle of the drug pumped quickly through his blood vessels, touching every nerve with a burst of pain. This pain, however, ignited an urge to move his body, and with a new strength the Turtle stood up, finally able to support his own weight. With the antidote now flowing through his body, the mild soreness from his previously dead weight on his wrists suddenly exploded in a rush of pain, and for a split second the Turtle regretted the fact that his body, senses, and nerves were alive again.

"Is it ready?"

This was a different voice. He knew right away that this voice belonged to something evil. The voice was close; he could hear heavy breathing that echoed deeply in a mask of steel and hatred. This voice incited anger within the depths of the Turtle…and fear. He hated this voice.

"Saki, tell me where my brothers are!"

His voice was hoarse and his throat sore, but he forced it, opening his burning eyes fast enough to see the looming figure of The Shedder rush at him. An explosion of pain across the Turtle's face followed immediately after, throwing his head violently to the side. Blood gushed from the two places where Saki's wrist-blades connected: Across Leonardo's eyebrow and underneath his eye socket. He could feel the wounds swelling already, and the Turtle was forced to spit as a copper-tasting, crimson liquid filled his mouth.

"Silence, freak. Don't presume to order me around."

The pain from his fresh injuries made unconsciousness pull hungrily at Leonardo's senses, but with a deep groan he focused on his strength and ignored the excruciating ache. Hot blood steadily flowed into and passed his left eye, and with a trembling breath the Turtle lifted his head, glaring at his Enemy with his right.

"What do you want…?"

In his full, formal armor The Shedder circled the Turtle, chuckling malevolently under his breath. Leonardo couldn't see very well, but he knew that under his steel mask The Shredder was smirking his arrogant smirk, dissecting him with his black, slanted eyes.

"I want power. I want power to make my enemies suffer. And I have it."

Rage skyrocketed through Leonardo's body, forcing him to speak through a bleeding mouth.

"I swear to you Saki, if you hurt anyone of my brothers, I'll—"

"Do what? You're in no position to make threats, freak."

In an instant Saki was inches from Leonardo's face, glaring dangerously at the Turtle. Leonardo held his menacing gaze, his breath building slowly into a fierce growl, his bloodied teeth bared. He may be hurt, but he'll be damned if he let's The Shedder intimidate him.

"Where are they?"

Blood deluded with saliva idly dribbled from the corners of Leonardo's mouth as he spoke, and a thick drip of it dangled from his lower lip. He watched the black orbs in Saki's skull follow it down, and The Shredder sneered at it in disgust.

"You'll see your fellow freaks soon enough—"

"Saki-san? Is he awake?"

Spinning on his heels, Saki turned to the new voice behind him, his back to the Turtle. Although Leonardo couldn't see passed The Shredders' broad shoulders, he could recognize the voice. He knew that accent.

"…Idania…?"

Craning his neck up to try and see over his Enemy, Leonardo's eyes went wide as the small, female figure approached him. She stopped shortly in front of him, dressed in a rather feminine pant-suit, and took The Shedder's extend arm. Her dark auburn hair hung elegantly around her pale face, and she exchanged humored glances with Saki.

"Idania? No, foolish creature, I'm not Idania."

"W-Where is she…?"

"She's locked in my office. Away from her precious Leonardo."

This was not Idania. He loved Idania; her looks, her way of thinking, her beautiful accent. This accent was ugly to him. This person was a monster.

"Marika..."

Anger and determination quickly lulled any lingering pain his system, and he hissed out at his new Enemy, his right eye narrowed dangerously. The woman, however, merely smiled and chuckled softly, stepping away from Saki's side and closer to the Turtle.

"She told you about me. I knew she would. Am I all you expected, Leonardo?"

The poisonous glare he was giving her didn't seem to bother her in the least.

"She told me enough. You're a hateful woman who's full of spite. I find it fitting that you're associating with filth like Saki!"

Leonardo knew he was yelling, and the attention that was suddenly on him from his outburst only provoked his anger further. Marika stared at him, her contempt already apparent in her ice-colored eyes.

"She told you that, hmm? Perhaps I should let her tell you more."

Stepping back, she gesture shortly to a few soldiers on her right, watching them sprint to her office and slip inside. She shared another wicked smile with The Shredder before the ninjas appeared again, returning to Marika's side with a squirming and hysterical Idania between them. She immediately broke into loud tears when her eyes locked onto Leonardo, and quickly she crumpled to her knees.

The muscles across the Turtle's chest tightened painfully when he heard his Ukrainian lover cry out, his body jerking against his manacles. Briefly his gaze shifted to Saki and Marika, who watched him in delight, and with a shaky breath Leonardo fought off tears that wanted to fall, squeezing his usable eye closed.

"Tell him, Idania. Tell your lover what I've done with his brothers. Tell him what I'm going to do to him."

The sharp click of Marika's heels on the concrete floor echoed faintly in the now quieted stock room as she advanced on her weeping sister. One of her hands snaked out and grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, pulling Idania's head up face Leonardo. The Turtle winced when Ida let out a shriek of pain, and his insides clenched with queasiness while he watched her sob violently.

"Tell him! You could tell him all about me before, couldn't you, курва! Tell him now!"

For fleeting second, Idania held Leonardo's gaze, her sobs quieting. Her lower lip trembled uncontrollably and after a long pause she broke down again, covering her face. Marika hissed another Ukrainian obscenity out at her weeping sister and let her go, pushing Ida to the floor with her sharp heel. Ida continued to hide her face from everyone, speaking sporadically through her sobs to Leonardo.

"мені шкода, Leonardo…I'm s-s-so sorry…"

He couldn't fight the tears anymore. There were too many, and seeing his beloved sobbing and weak on the floor only made it worse. The fresh, salty tears stung his left eye, mixing with drying blood and burning his flesh, and with a stuttered sigh Leonardo dropped his head. The elated chortle that echoed from The Shredder did nothing to the Turtle; he couldn't feel any worse.

"I guess Ida's not feeling herself today, so we'll have to tell you."

Marika gestured to Saki and smiled.

"I am a business woman. An entrepreneur. A museum, although charming, does not bring in a lot of money. So, I needed a new way to cover my expenses."

Another chuckle from The Shredder made her pause.

"After some searching, I sought Saki-san out and proposed a business deal; I let him set up a base here, and I have no more money troubles. He's been working with me ever since, and we've become…partners. Now, my little museum was prospering, I mean it was really starting to get big. But I needed a little something more, something to set it apart…and then it hit me: Mutant Turtles."

A wave of nausea rose up in Leonardo's throat, and with a thick swallow he ignored it, trying desperately not to imagine the worse. He didn't want to hear anymore.

"I heard about you and your brothers from Saki-san, and I couldn't help but fantasize about how unique it would be if I had you in my museum. Do you know how many Mutant Turtles there are, in the world, Leonardo?"

NO. This can't be real.

"Four. There are only four in the entire world. And not only are these Turtles mutated enough to walk and talk, but they study ninjitsu as well. Do you know how much money people would pay to see you? Do you know how valuable you and your brothers are?"

This is hell. This has to be hell, nothing but hell could be this terrible.

"I found my exhibit, Leonardo, when you found my sister. She brought my most expensive and valuable asset to my front door, and didn't even think twice. So, combining my knowledge with Saki-san's army, we caught you. And now…I have you. And I will do what I wish with you…just like I did with your brothers."

His breathing was quick and uneven from the anguish building inside of him. Leonardo felt sweat seeping from his body and his face was hot. Random, graphic images of his brothers bore their way into his imagination, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

This isn't real…this isn't real…

"Are you ready to die, freak?"

The poisonous voice of The Shedder shocked the Turtle out of his silent sulk. Weakly he raised his head up to glare at his impatient Enemy, but a desperate shriek nearby pulled his head in the other direction. Idania was writhing violently between the clutches of two foot soldiers, trying to pull free.

"NO! Don't you touch him монстр! Marika, please! Let him GO!"

From the way her hair kept getting yanked and her arm twisted by the ninja's, Leonardo knew that Idania must be in a great deal of pain. Still she struggled, pleading with her sister for the Turtle's safety and life. This pleading, however, seemed to be irritating her sister more than convincing her; Marika took a dangerous step forward and struck her Idania forcefully.

"тиша! You should be begging for your life, fool!"

Marika entangled her manicure fingers into her sister's hair and then jerked roughly, throwing her sister to the floor. Ignoring the loud and agonized sobs that resulted from her abuse, Marika approached Leonardo.

"Take a good look. You'll never see her again."

The Turtle threw his body at his new Enemy and gave a venomously growl, enjoying the fact that, even though he was chained to solid steel, he made her flinch.

"You kill her. I torture you."

It wasn't until Saki was on top of him that Leonardo realized he said something wrong. A solid fist swung out and connected painfully with the Turtle's chin, throwing his head up and back with a trail of blood following. With the amount of blood that was rushing to his lip and mouth, Leonardo assumed his lip was split open, but with stubborn determination he stayed quiet, sharing another hateful glare with The Shredder before Saki turned to Marika.

"Enough talking."

Gesturing to his ninja's, Idania was scooped up and dragged back into Marika's office. She kicked and screamed and fought to get free, and only silenced when her eyes connected with Leonardo's. The flecks of green and yellow in her Ukrainian eyes burned with defeat and shame, and with a last, fraught cry Idania quieted, hiding her face from the world. Leonardo's insides kept twisting with the desire to protect his lover, but the manacles around his body held him tight, stopping any rescue the Turtle may have wanted. Gathering any strength hidden in the folds of his restrained muscles, Leonardo pulled ferociously at all of his shackles, his mouth opening wide to release an animalistic cry. His wrists jerked tightly against the cuffs on them, and when the feeling of fresh, hot blood began to dribble down his arms, the Turtle's struggle slowly stopped.

He could hear all of them laughing at him faintly. If he cared anymore about himself, that would've bothered him. In defeat, Leonardo hung his head, allowing more tears to run briefly down his cheeks.

The cage around him began moving be means of remote control. Leading the way, The Shredder barked out at his students, clearing a path toward what looked to be an elevator. Most of the foot soldiers dispersed randomly in the large stockroom, and only about ten followed along with the cage. Echoes of Idania's cries still floated in Leonardo's head, and the guilt hovering over him fed greedily off it.

"You love her, don't you?"

Beside him, Marika walked casually, her hands held modestly behind her back. She watched him through the corner of her eye, and waited for an answer. Leonardo didn't speak.

"I'm not going to kill her, Leonardo."

A spark of hope lit up the Turtle's nerves, and he turned his head slightly, looking at Marika.

"What…?"

"I would never kill my own sister. What kind of person do you think I am?"

The patronizing tone that tainted her voice made the hope lingering distantly in Leonardo fade quickly, and his uninjured eye narrowed.

"What are you going to do to her?"

"I'm sending her back to Old Country. Away from my family. I can not accept a person who has been tainted by an abomination. Her love for you is blasphemes. My family can not be associated with such…evil."

The hate Leonardo was harboring for this woman ignited and sent his rage into another frenzy. Again he faltered against his shackles, trying to lunge at her. His attempt earned him a wicked smile from Marika.

"She's a slut, Leonardo. A slut who loves a monster."

The breath rushing in and out of the Turtle's bared teeth shook with anger, and he could only watch as she walked ahead of him, taking her place beside Saki's side. Thoughts rolled slowly through Leonardo's mind, and one in particular kept repeating.

Where are his brothers when he needs them the most?