Author's Notes: For one reason or another, I keep forgetting to include thanks to Dierdre for being my beta. So now I'm taking the time out to give a great big huge THANK YOU to Dierdre. This chapter should explain quite a few things about the events that occurred in the last chapter as well as things that will happen in this chapter. Italics will denote character thoughts.
Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT franchise.
Chapter 12
Donatello's point of view
Five months. It has been five long, harsh months since I've last seen my family. During the first few weeks of my imprisonment, I truly believed that they would come for me.
Bishop and Shredder have tried feeding me lie after lie that they don't care. That it's pointless to love them and hope that they'll come for me. I'm very close to giving up, but something has been telling me not to lose faith. My family has never let me down before, so that is why I believe that they'll come through for me this time.
Sakura and her research team have finally completed Project Apocalypse. At least, they think they've finished work on it. They have no idea that I've sabotaged their little project. Did they honestly think I was going to sit by and let them unleash their experiment upon the world?
Of course, I was very careful about my methods of sabotage. After all, Bishop and Shredder aren't stupid. Bishop would have been expecting something like that, and the Shredder battled with my brothers and me long enough to know what to expect from us.
It is lights out now and I've been imprisoned in my cell once again. Since I began working for them, they've stopped chaining me to the wall. They don't even bother locking my door anymore. It's almost as if they're taunting me. Like they want me to try and escape so they can have another reason to torture me.
Everyone, are you all right? Have you been out there searching for me? Do you have any idea just how much my heart aches to see all of you again?
Closing my eyes, all I can do is try to fight back the tears that begin rolling down my cheeks. It just hurts so much. I can't sleep, eat, breathe or even think straight because my thoughts are always consumed by them.
Crying quietly to myself, I didn't know that tonight I'd be getting my wish.
Master Splinter's point of view
We have gathered all of the necessary information needed for Donatello's rescue. Currently, my sons and Karai are perfecting the final parts of their plan.
I would like nothing more than to accompany them on this journey, but unfortunately I cannot. My sons are determined to retrieve Donatello on their own and were unusually adamant that I stay behind. I can only assume they were still concerned about our previous encounter with Bishop, when he abducted me for use in his bizarre medical experiments. Despite my own desire to find Donatello, my sons were very determined not to let something like that happen again.
While Karai had a major hand in formulating the plan with Leonardo, she would also be staying here. My sons wanted to make sure that the Shredder would not take her. To compensate for the reduction in numbers, Casey Jones, Ms. O'Neil and Leatherhead had decided to accompany my sons. That was most fortuitous, for it greatly increased our chances of taking Donatello back.
"Master Splinter, we're leaving." Leonardo said, interrupting my meditation about the latest development in this ordeal.
I rose from the Lotus position and embraced each of my children. Outwardly, Leonardo looked calm, but I knew that he was greatly worried about tonight. His entire body seemed unusually stiff and tense. Raphael seemed very agitated, but also grim and determined. I could only assume that he wanted to end this whole affair without incident. Like Leonardo, I am sure he would do everything in his power to bring Donatello back home safely.
Lastly, Michelangelo looked very nervous, but he had tried to make light of his uneasiness with jokes and teasing his brothers. Like the others, he too was worried, because all throughout the day he had not been able to stop fidgeting. Nonetheless, a small grin adorned my youngest son's face.
"Be careful, my sons."
I was met with a resounding chorus of 'Yes, Master Splinter.' As my charges and their allies left, I prayed for the safe return of them all.
Shredder's point of view"Sakura, I am most pleased that you and your team have finished work on Project Apocalypse. Should all go according to plan, all of you should expect rewards for your hard-earned work."
Surrounded by her beaming colleagues, looking equally pleased, she bowed to me and then straightened her features. "Your words are too kind, Mr. Saki."
I glanced carefully at each experiment. Upon closer inspection, faint chuckles begun to rise from deep within me. The laugh escaped before I could manage to suppress it.
"Complete and total replicas of those blasted turtles!"This was too good to be true. I now had a willing and loyal army of mutants at my disposal.
Bishop, however, cut the celebration short with what he probably assumed to be a threatening manner as he addressed me indignantly, "Don't think those mutants belong to you, Saki. The agreement didn't specify that, as I seem to recall."
A sinister smile came to my face. "Pathetic idiot! Did you honestly think I was going to uphold our agreement? Now that you have provided me with all that I need, I no longer require your services."
I snapped my fingers and laughed as the Foot Elite appeared. Bishop did not seem frightened or in the least bit interested that my most trustworthy servants now stood before him. Instead, he appeared to be bored.
"And I am supposed to be afraid of them, Saki?" he asked casually.
His futile attempt at intimidation did nothing but amuse me. "I wouldn't expect the likes of you to be concerned about something like this, but you leave me no choice."
I nodded towards the leader of the Elite. He raised his weapon and swung it at Bishop's neck, only to stop a few inches away. "Our Master said he has no need of you. Now will you go quietly, or do you wish to forfeit your life?"
Bishop balled his fists up so tightly that his fingernails bit into his skin. As blood began to seep from his hands, he looked like he wanted to retaliate. At the last moment, however, he uncurled his hands and glared at me.
Smiling in triumph, I said, "Take him away. Make sure he is secured in one of our special holding chambers."
I watched in grim satisfaction as Bishop was removed from my sight. Turning back around to study the replicas, I knew that the time to finish those who would defy me had finally arrived. The destruction and chaos that Project Apocalypse would cause gave me the greatest possible joy.
"All of you are dismissed. Except for you, Sakura."
Respectfully, they bowed to me and left. Now it was just the two of us. Turning around once more, I closed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms. As she looked in my eyes, I dipped down and kissed her.
The kiss meant nothing to me, but it obviously did to her. Had she any idea that I was just using her, I don't believe she would have been so motivated or obligated to finish this assignment. Her dedication was more than worth this emotional pretense.
After the kiss was broken, I released her and then went back to admiring my newly acquired army.
"Can you believe it, Oroku?" she said happily. "After years of research, experimenting, and a series of failures, Project Apocalypse is now completed."
"And it's all thanks to you, my dear, sweet Sakura."
"Oroku."
I glanced at her briefly, noticing that her eyes were slightly wet and held some type of affection within them. Suppressing the desire to rid myself of this pest, I gave her a loving smile and dismissed her. She bowed to me once again and then excused herself.
Sakura's point of view
I know he loves me. From the first moment we laid eyes on one another, there had been a silent and yet passionate attraction between us. These last five months have been the best of my life. The man I love has finally proven his love to me, and my dream has at last come to pass.
Walking back to my bedding chambers, I am jarred from my thoughts when I hear a certain nasty and irritating voice. "Enjoying your time with my Master, are you?"
Angrily, I turn to face the lumbering idiot. "And what if I am? Are you planning to come between us? Because if so, I will not let him go that easily, Hun."
He grins maliciously. "Your time with him is officially over. As far as I'm concerned, I would never dream of coming between you and my Master."
I don't see his fist until it is too late. Chloroform fills my nostrils, choking me with its sickly sweet aroma, and then I succumb to the darkness.