Rating: T for occasional language. Also see other warnings.
Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.
Summary: Bradford has always blamed Michelangelo for his misfortunes and especially for his mutation so when he manages to capture the young ninja, he's going to make sure he knows exactly what it's like. 2k12 AU.
Warning: Warnings for physical and mental torture in this story abound, as well as for implied and highly disturbing situations. Trigger warnings may apply for some chapters. There will not however, be gruesome details. Some things are best left up to the imagination.
A/N: Trigger warning applies for this chapter as Mikey has flashbacks to what he went through at the hands of Three-Five-Eight. This will be the worst of them and it won't be focused on again other than in conversation when he is ready to talk. As usual, there will be no details though.
Also, while I have finished writing the final chapter of 'And One to Grow On', it isn't ready to post and since I had a busy weekend, I decided to post this instead.
The Mikey art I am using for this story was created by the ever-amazing sampsonknight (DA, FFNet, AO3, etc) for the 2021 Turtle Wishes event. It has nothing to do with this story but it's cute and I have permission to use it XD
Concrit, thoughts and comments always welcomed.
T420000: You're welcome :-)
Minnie1015: Yeah, unfortunately, Leo had no choice but to go for the doctor, even though by all rights it was a horrible idea. Yeah, poor Mikey. Poor everyone. That damn turtle luck is truly in action now.
ViolaHarmony: True, I never promised (I don't think) but no, I don't enjoy death fics so I have no intention of going there. If you want a clue about the doctor, it's in his name *winks* I said something a few chapters ago about how I chose character names and that also applies to Asahi. However, that aside does not change the fact that going to him and trusting him was and remains a huge risk.
Taraninja20: Thank you for your amazing review. I was going to reply here but it was getting too long so I've messaged you directly :-)
How Much is that Turtle in the Window
ch 29
Damn but his head hurt so much and why was he on his shell again? Nothing good ever came of being on his shell and thanks to the weight of his paws, it was almost impossible to get up...
He groaned silently as he struggled to open his eyes, squinting up at the bright, stark white ceiling in confusion.
On his shell...
Bright, white ceiling...
'No! Nonononono!' he keened brokenly to himself.
He couldn't be back here!
His brothers came for him! They were on the ship heading home!
Hysterical and terrified, Mikey screamed silently as he fought desperately to get up, fought against the straps holding him down.
Please! His rescue couldn't have been a dream! It couldn't have been a hallucination - it was far too long and too vivid for a hallucination!
He looked around frantically. He'd been drugged again! He could feel it coursing through his body. The needle was still in his arm and they had things stuck to his plastron!
A forest green head laid on an arm at the edge of his bed and Mikey's eyes widened in terror. The hallucination was still going!
Despite his weakness, he managed to sit up. He struggled to lift his paw to rip the needle out but it was too much, too heavy and he couldn't do it.
Leo... Why, why, why couldn't he have been real..?
Mikey squeezed his eyes closed helplessly, fighting against the sob that threatened to break free.
Why couldn't this nightmare just be over already? He didn't want to live like this anymore!
"Michelangelo-san, please, calm yourself. You are quite safe here."
Mikey whipped his aching head around to see a human in a white lab coat approaching and he shrieked, the only noise coming from him that of air rushing from his mouth.
Suddenly, there was movement behind him and Mikey, terrified, turned to the new threat, only to see his hallucination come to life.
"Calm down, Mikey, it's okay, you're safe, I promise," Leo-hallucination assured gently.
Right! Like he hadn't been told that one before.
Mikey cringed back, tugging at far too heavy paws as a hurt expression crossed his hallucination's face.
"Perhaps... I should sedate him."
Mikey whipped back around in horror. 'No!' he blinked desperately. 'No more drugs. I'll be good! Please!' he pleaded mentally, hoping the human would understand the promise in his eyes. Not that they ever did...
"No, Asahi-sensei, that'll only upset him more. Stay back for now. Mikey, look at me."
'No,' he blinked in terror. He didn't want to be faced with the too-real hallucination of his brother yet again.
"He just keeps blinking twice, over and over," the human said worriedly.
"That means no," Leo-hallucination explained calmly. "Mikey, I'm going to remove the needle from your arm, okay?"
"That wouldn't be wise, Leonardo-san," the scientist said calmly, his eyes firmly on Mikey's. "He's still very dehydrated."
"I know but it's not helping right now. Mikey needs it out more than he needs it in. Right, Mikey?"
Mikey stilled as best he could, stiffening as he felt the cool warmth of the hallucination touch him. Slowly, in shock, he turned, staring at Leo with disbelieving eyes.
Leo smiled warmly at him in the way only the real Leonardo ever could.
{Leo!} Mikey sobbed, blinking his name in Morse Code.
"It's really me, little brother," Leo murmured softly, dropping the needle and reaching out to embrace him. "You really scared us again, you know that?"
{Wat happ'n...} Mikey blinked clumsily before falling into his brother's arms.
"I'm sorry, Mikey, I have no idea what you're saying," Leo apologised sadly. "I need the sound still."
Mikey struggled free and tried to lift a paw. He managed to lift it a tiny bit but it dropped again, too heavy and he was too exhausted and in too much pain to make more effort.
"You should lie down and get more rest, Michelangelo-san."
Mikey stiffened in fear again and Leo smiled softly.
"Asahi-sensei is right, Mikey."
Mikey pulled away and stared at him in disbelief.
"It's okay to trust him. He's a doctor and he saved your life."
Mikey's eyes went wider before narrowing in suspicion. He couldn't be serious. Why the hell would Leo trust a human! Maybe... maybe it wasn't the real Leo after all! Maybe... Maybe he really was hallucinating like he originally thought.
"We were desperate, Mikey. You were hurt so badly during the storm that we nearly lost you. Raph and I had no choice but to bring you to the ship's infirmary and to trust Asahi-sensei."
Mikey pulled away from 'Leo' and turned to glare at Asahi.
"He's a good man, Mikey. Give him a chance."
He wasn't Mai and he didn't stink like Foot but Mai occasionally brought outsiders in when she worked on him. Especially when she'd been testing new drugs on him.
The drugs... the ones that messed with his mind... that's what this was. More of that particular torture...
He flopped painfully back on his shell, disheartened, and stared at the ceiling, willing it to be over as soon as possible.
-:-
The sun began cresting the horizon as he finally made it back to the shipping container, shaking with cold, thirst and exhaustion. It took every inch of his willpower to reach the handle and swing the door open.
He stared in confusion at the sight that met him. The spotlight on and shining at the mattress which bizarrely stood on its side, tied in place and bulging at the bottom as if dozens of objects pressed against it, trying with all their might to burst free.
An empty bottle rolled noisily about as the ship moved, accompanied by a half-empty companion as the sharp scent of dried blood, fear and desperation assaulted his sense of smell.
He gazed about uncomprehendingly before shakily pulling the door closed to hide them from the waking ship and desperate for water, of the non-salty variety, he pounced on the bottle still with precious liquid contained within, collapsing exhausted beside it.
After all but ripping the lid off, he drained the contents before looking around again, this time, far more alert than when he first arrived.
"Guys?" he rasped tiredly, worried but not quite sure what was wrong with this picture. "Mikey? I'm back! Wh... where are you?" He stared about more and swallowing in fear at the lack of his siblings, he spied a rope hung loosely along the wall and crawled slowly towards it - he didn't have the energy to rise to his feet again. He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to climb the mountain of shipping containers after the day and night he'd had. That was when he came across the dried puddle of blood.
Crying out in fright, he looked frantically around once more. This time, taking in the mattress barricade again and what it actually meant.
A cold chill ran through him at the realisation.
He'd left Mikey alone!
Mikey, who had no way to protect himself, alone in the dark during what was in all likelihood a hurricane, nothing tied down properly due to lack of sufficient netting and ropes, despite his earlier protestation. Everything had shifted and fallen - the boat had listed badly a scant couple of minutes after he left to find their brothers - and Mikey... Mikey must have been hurt! He couldn't have erected the barricade, not with his hands confined and useless, so one or both of their brothers must have come back.
He hung his head in shame and fear.
But they weren't here now and unlike him, neither Leo nor Raph would have left Mikey alone for any reason, not even to find him and Mikey couldn't have left with them so that could only mean one thing... Mikey likely fell overboard when the door was opened by one of them or... or... he didn't want to think about it, didn't want to go there but his traitorously logical mind couldn't be swayed... his little brother was probably the one injured and he'd died.
There was no other reason he wouldn't be here in their shipping container...
Devastated, a broken sob broke free from him and he collapsed fully to the floor.
-:-
Four days had passed. Four days of hell where he couldn't see a thing and kept bumping painfully into objects with the cone on his head or being tripped up by things deliberately stuck in his way or poked, prodded and mocked by enemies he couldn't see at all.
Every time someone entered his kennel to feed him he freaked, still feeling that sicko Three-Five-Eight moving inside of him, moaning in ecstasy as Mikey lay helpless, chained to ensure he couldn't run and blind thanks to the bandages wrapped tightly around his eyes. His own erection was painful with the Viagra yet to wear off and he was unable to do a thing about it until it wore off on its own hours later.
When it finally did, he ventured shakily outside to void his bladder, only to hear shouts and jeers of laughter directed his way, calling him a 'filthy animal' and asking if he enjoyed it 'doggy style'. Someone even poked under his tail through the cage with their weapon.
Burning with pain and shame, Mikey rushed back to his kennel where he was at least safe from prying eyes, only to run headfirst into the ramp, eliciting howls of laughter at his expense once more.
The next two nights were much the same, only without being drugged first and this time with an audience as Three-Five-Eight brought friends to take turns 'playing' with him.
He'd found walking hard enough with the heavy paws, still healing hands and lack of sight, without adding the pain of being sodomised repeatedly for hours on end. After all that it was almost impossible.
By the time Bradford returned him to Mai for his next session with her, he was a quivering mess and didn't fight as she had Three-Five-Eight and his buddy strap him upright into a chair.
Soft, gentle hands reached carefully around his neck, removing the cone before likewise removing the bandages covering his eyes.
[Take it easy, Spot. Your vision is likely to need time to adjust before it clears,] Mai offered kindly.
Mikey blinked his blurry gaze to linger on her face in disinterest.
She turned away to pick up a small light, which she shone painfully into his left eye. Mikey flinched in fear, ripping his head away and she sighed in annoyance.
[Four-seven-three, secure the subject's head in place.]
[Hai, Hideki-sama!] someone replied. Then one of the ninja stepped forward and grabbed his head, pushing it back against the headrest of the chair he was strapped to. Suddenly incensed, Mikey found his fighting spirit again. He fought desperately to wriggle free, baring his teeth in a snarl and having no other defence, trying to bite the man touching his head.
Three-Five-Eight laughed mockingly. [Need some help with the vicious little mutt, Four?]
[Nuh, I got it, Three,] the faceless ninja replied dismissively.
Abruptly, the ninja twisted his grip, digging sharp-tipped fingers into his jaw. Mikey tried to lean away from the grip when suddenly a strap was pulled across his forehead and tightened, leaving him no room to move or even wriggle his head.
[You should have just cooperated, Spot,] Mai said tonelessly. [Things would have gone easier on you.]
'Fuck you, psycho lady!' Mikey thought desperately, baring his teeth furiously at her.
[Chris didn't bring the subject's muzzle since it had the cone on before so find something to gag it with instead. We can't have it trying to bite or threaten anyone like a rabid dog.]
Mikey's eyes went wide and he immediately closed his lips. 'Please don't! I'll behave, I promise!'
[If I may, Hideki-sama, I have the perfect thing for a dog like Spot back in my quarters,] Three-Five -Eight offered, stepping forward and leering through his mask at Mikey.
'H-hang on!' Mikey choked, aghast. 'W-what the hell do you mean, 'perfect for a dog like me'?'
Mai turned away from Mikey to regard her subordinate. [Fine, just hurry up.]
[Hai, Hideki-sama!] Three-Five-Eight laughed, even as Four-Seven-Three shook his head, seemingly in disgust.
An interminable amount of time passed, yet all too soon, Three-Five-Eight returned and Mikey could see the smile of delight he wore, even through the ninja's full face mask. He held something up for Mai to inspect and Mikey strained to see but unable to move as he was, it was impossible.
[A ball gag,] Mai stated drolly. [How... appropriate.]
[Dogs do love playing with and chewing on balls,] Three-Five-Eight stated in a mocking tone, [so Spot should enjoy this.]
'I'm not a dog!' Mikey blinked desperately, hoping to get Mai's attention. 'Please don't make me wear that! I promise I'll behave!'
[Just put it on the subject already,] Mai stated flatly, turning away, [and don't offer to bring any of your other... toys in here ever again.]
Three-Five-Eight approached Mikey, swinging the gag gaily. In a sing-song voice, he called, [Open wide, Spot.]
'No!' Mikey shrieked to himself. 'Keep that away from me, you pedo creeper!'
[Stop tormenting the subject and just get on with it or I will ask to have you reassigned in future,] Mai demanded in a clipped, impatient tone.
[Hey, Four, come hold Spot's head still while I put this on him,] Three called and Four immediately came over to help.
[Next time I will just ask Chris to make sure he brings the muzzle, even if it can't be put on beforehand,] Mai muttered in annoyance as she seemingly rechecked her equipment.
[Oh, but Hideki-sama, this is perfect for him! It even has a large hole in the centre where you can insert things if you need to,] Three-Five-Eight offered brightly. [I mean, if you need to give Spot a drink or anything else, you wouldn't even have to remove it first!]
Mai raised her eyebrows. [That's nice. Now get on with it. I need to check how its eyes have healed before we get started with today's agenda and I don't need to be bitten.]
Four grabbed Mikey by the jaw, digging the sharp, weaponised claws of his uniform threateningly into it again as Three undid the strap and though Mikey struggled valiantly, the two soon had Mikey's mouth open and the gag in it. Three then quickly tied it securely before the pair strapped his head back into place. Desperately, he tried pushing it out with his tongue, gagging on the rubbery taste in the process. The worst part was the disgusting realisation that it hadn't even been washed after its last use, based on the flaky crust beneath his tongue. He glared hatred at Three and at Mai for allowing this and struggled to free his arms and legs from the straps holding him tightly to the chair.
[Better,] Mai grunted. Then she came close with the light and peered into first one eye again and then the other and there was nothing Mikey could do to escape the bright light. [Good, good. Spot, I'm going to cover one eye and I want you to blink once if you can see clearly out of it.]
Mikey glared up at her again. 'Why?' he wondered. 'What do you even care!'
[I suggest you cooperate if you don't want an extra session any time soon,] she added drily.
Sighing in misery, he closed his eyes, then a moment later, opened them again, staring at her expectantly.
Once the eye tests were done and Mai satisfied, another human wearing a white lab coat entered the room. [Is the subject ready yet, Hideki-kun?]
[Yes, it is, Hakaru-sempai. Bradford-san has supplied me with a list of suggestions to give it that are somewhat appropriate. I've crossed off a couple that were not,] she added drily.
Suggestions? Mikey wriggled again in terror, suddenly remembering the promise to test a new mind-altering drug on him. He had to get out of here but how? His eyes flickered frantically around the room, searching for something, anything to help him!
[May I see?] Hakaru asked tonelessly.
[Of course, Sempai,] the vet acknowledged, bowing slightly. She then turned and picked up a clipboard from a nearby table, handing it to the man.
He raised his eyebrows as he searched the list. [You really discarded this one?] He turned and studied Mikey as if he were a bug under a microscope. [Where is it anyway?]
[Concealed in a pouch near the bottom of its plastron.]
Mikey shrank back in his seat and tried to suck back the spit building up in his mouth. They were talking about his...
[That seems like a rather informative test actually, especially if the subject refuses to leave it on display or even bring it out when told to. Is there any reason you chose to veto the suggestion?]
Mai pursed her lips. [It may give certain... undesirable elements in the rank and file some strange ideas that I prefer not to encourage.]
'Bit late for that, lady!' Mikey spat mentally, shooting a hateful glare Three-Five-Eight's way. The ninja leered back at him.
[Alright. We'll give it the other instructions for now, then see how things go. Then depending on how well they go, we might try that too. Have you already another session lined up with the creature?]
[Not yet but it won't take long,] Mai muttered. [Spot is... obstinate and naïve and its handler, or rather, Alpha, Bradford-san, is far too quick to punish.]
[Can I ask why Bradford-san would wish for it to forget the names and faces of its family but not that it actually has one?] Hakaru asked in surprise.
[I assume because it would hurt the subject emotionally to know it has a family but not be able to remember them,] Mai replied dismissively. [Its Alpha can be... rather cruel to those who have gained his ire and he particularly has it in for the subject who he blames for his mutation.]
Mikey scowled fiercely. That was Dogpound's own fault! He and his brothers tried to warn him and Fishface but they wouldn't listen and attacked them anyway!
And seriously, what was with this 'Alpha' crap? Dogpound wasn't his Alpha! He was his nemesis! Mikey redoubled his efforts to break free, ignoring the way the straps dug painfully into his flesh and ignoring Three as best he could when he came up and breathed into his ear, stating how good he looked chewing on the ball and offering to play later if he behaved.
The next few minutes were spent with Mai and the newcomer making preparations and ignoring Mikey while Three-Five-Eight and Four-Seven-Three stood watch over him and Mikey kept struggling, testing the strength of the straps holding him down even as despair set in.
There was no way he was getting out of this, he realised in resignation.
All too soon, Mai approached, a needle in hand. She placed it carefully down on the table close by and picked up a bottle and some cotton. Mikey helplessly watched her remove the lid and tip some strong-smelling liquid onto the cloth which she then used to swab his inner elbow. While he gagged at the powerful stench of alcohol, she picked up the needle, inserting it into a vein and pressed the plunger.
Mikey freaked as he felt a strangely cold liquid enter his veins and begin to wash through his system. He very quickly began to feel lightheaded and the room and everyone in it became distant. That was when Mai appeared in front of his face. He fought to focus on her suddenly far too large face.
[Since this is the last time you will be able to understand anyone for hopefully some time, I'm going to tell you how you will be helping us today. In order to test the effectiveness of Hakaru-sempai's mind-altering drug, we are going to strip away the parts of your personality and self that you no longer need in your new life.]
Mikey stiffened in fright and he struggled weakly to be free again.
[As you no longer need language as a dog, you will be stripped of the ability to understand first English and then finally Japanese by the end of the session,] Mai explained coldly. [If all goes as we expect, then by the time we are finished, you will not speak in language, you will not think in language and you will no longer acknowledge it as anything other than the meaningless sounds uttered by humans, which is something that you, as nothing more than a lesser animal, definitely are not. You will also no longer remember you ever even had a name other than Spot and you will only respond to that from now on.]
"Please don't do this to me, Mai," Mikey silently begged, saliva dribbling uncontrollably from his mouth as it moved impotently against the gag. She simply gazed coldly at him before continuing to speak.
[Also, the memories of people you used to know will be removed. How long these changes will last, I do not know but that is where your invaluable help comes in. With the data we gain from you today and your changing behaviour over the next few weeks, Hakaru-sempai will be able to tweak his formula, at which point, we will test it on you again the moment you misbehave. Blink once if you understand, Spot.]
'No!' Mikey blinked in terror. "Let me go! Don't do this!" he tried to cry around the disgusting object in his mouth.
[The subject is ready,] she intoned emotionlessly. [I'll give it the second injection and we can begin to strip away the parts it no longer needs.]
Hakaru passed Mai a second needle, one containing a thick yellow substance that made him sick to look at and despite his frantic silent begging and wriggling about, she injected him with it moments later.
Mikey woke up screaming. His head still hurt so much and he was dismayed to find himself still in the 'infirmary' with his hallucination still in full force.
"Hey, Mikey," 'Leonardo' greeted in a soothing voice with a gentle hand on his arm. "It's alright, I'm still here."
But he didn't want him to be there! He wanted the real Leonardo, not this fake who handed him back over to humans!
"You're safe now, little brother, I promise," 'Leo' repeated the same words from when he woke before. "Asahi-sensei has left the infirmary to get us some food. He locked the door so no one else can just walk in."
Locked in? Mikey's eyes widened in fright and he tried to lift his paw. This time he was more successful than earlier and managed to get it over his body, allowing him to turn over onto his plastron at last and dislodging 'Leo' off him. Panting raggedly from the effort, Mikey pushed himself up onto all fours and peered over the side of the bed dubiously. The drop wasn't too much but with how dizzy and lightheaded he currently felt, he wasn't sure he could make the jump safely.
"Mikey! What do you think you're doing?" 'Leo' asked in sudden alarm, reaching out and grabbing his shell. "You nearly died! You're not well enough to get up yet!"
Mikey violently shrugged him off. He didn't know how this hallucination felt so real. Either the drugs were doing a real number on his mind this time or it was a real person and he was just seeing them wrong. But... the temperature of the skin felt right. They weren't purely cold-blooded, having much human DNA in them but neither were they as warm as a typical human.
"Michelangelo! Will you stop and get back in bed!"
'No!' Mikey turned, baring his teeth and growling at 'Leo'. Then he jumped.
As he landed, his arms lost their precarious strength and slid out from under him, his chin cracking painfully against the floor, causing his vision to white out. Mikey moaned and tried pushing himself upright but his arms gave way again and the room swam alarmingly, making him want to puke. Suddenly, forest green hands reached down to his armpits and hauled him up, lifting him back onto the bed and placing him on his plastron.
"Now will you stay in bed, Mikey?" 'Leo' questioned drily.
'Yes,' he blinked miserably. Hallucination or not, 'Leo' was right. He wasn't ready to move about and his head now hurt more than ever. If Donnie were here, he would have killed him over his stupidity.
Donnie...
{D, doko?} he tapped weakly, looking up at 'Leo' with pleading eyes.
"Japanese?" 'Leo' smiled softly.
Mikey groaned soundlessly and closed his eyes against the piercing brightness. It was easier, fewer letters than spelling out where and besides, Japanese was all he'd heard for so long. They'd effectively wiped English from his mind early on and he hadn't been able to recover it until recently like he had everything else they'd taken from him simply because he wasn't exposed to the language much other than the odd word or phrase here and there.
{Doko?} he repeated, more weakly than before as his strength ebbed. It was all he could do to stay awa…
-:-
Spot stared in bewilderment at the strange sounds coming from the mouths of Three-Five-Eight and Four-Seven-Three as they finally approached him to remove the straps tying him to the chair and the gag from his mouth. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, he didn't think it was very long but he felt stiff as if it had been hours. The humans around him continued to talk, but strangely, it was as if they were speaking another language, one that felt achingly familiar. Try as he might, however, he couldn't place it and a chill of terror filled his heart. Suddenly, the leash was clipped to his collar and Three said something to him, tugging hard on the lead as he did. Spot shook his head trying to clear it as the word was repeated but he still couldn't work out what was said. The ninja pulled again, this time clicking a device in his hand as he repeated the strange word and Spot finally understood. 'Heel.' Reluctantly pushing himself forward, he jumped from the chair to land on all fours and felt something that shouldn't have been out bounce against his leg.
Then suddenly mortified, he remembered.
He couldn't remember the words, they were somehow gone now but he remembered them talking before they'd injected that drug into him, talking about messing with his mind, removing the memories of his family and Do... no - Spot screwed up his face in concentration but it didn't help, he just couldn't remember the name - his Alpha wanting him to be on display twenty-four seven. Mai had been against it but the other guy wasn't and he must have somehow talked her into agreeing to...
Spot started to tremble uncontrollably and he hung his head, sneaking a peek underneath himself to see his penis hanging free in full view for anyone to ogle at and grab. No! Nononono!
Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to tuck it away and to his intense relief, a moment later the muscles rolled and it hid safely from view again.
[Heel, Spot,] Three clicked again and Spot snapped his head up in sudden anger.
Spot! That wasn't his name either! Of that he was sure but for the life of him, he couldn't think what it really was and while he was desperately trying to remember, he felt his equipment drop free again.
He bared his teeth, growling as best he could and charged furiously at Three. Three wasn't the main one responsible for this, he knew that, but he was trapped on the leash and couldn't have reached Mai without being choked. Besides, Three had been tormenting him for days now... touching and... and... he was sick of it and sickened by the pervert's actions!
Spot knocked Three violently to the ground, snapping at him angrily with the only weapon he had left, his teeth, when something grabbed him from behind, yanking hard on his collar. He cried out soundlessly in pain as he choked.
Glaring through slit, agony filled eyes, Spot watched helplessly as Three stood, saying something incomprehensible to someone behind him but before Spot could twist to see, he began choking again as he was lifted by the leash to come face to face with his maliciously grinning Alpha.
His Alpha spoke and Spot still couldn't understand a word but he cringed back fearfully, even as the anger in him burned. Suddenly, he cried out in agony as his manhood was grabbed and twisted by the monster holding him up by the collar.
Stars appeared in his vision and he scrabbled desperately with heavy, useless paws to pull the collar away from his throat when he was finally dropped, his chin smashing hard into the ground. Moments later, he heard the incomprehensible voices again and hands grabbed his head while someone else inserted the ball-gag back into his mouth again before leading him out and back to his kennel via the scenic route.
All the while in terrible pain and unable to understand a single word of the laughter and jeers coming from everywhere around him on the way.
-:-
Mikey woke again to a wet pillow and Leo gently wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Bad dreams, little brother?" Leo asked softly.
Mikey sniffled and scrubbed at his face with his forearm. 'No,' he blinked miserably. Not dreams, memories but how could he tell Leo that? He wouldn't understand, even if it really was Leo. He stared at him, hesitating. Then, slowly, carefully, to give him a chance to translate, {Are u reel?}
Leo stared back, perplexed. "What do you mean, am I real? Of course, I'm real."
{Not... hallusination?}
Leo's eyes filled with shock and understanding once he finished translating, "No, of course, I'm not. I'm really here, Mikey. I promise."
{Y bring here?} he asked, looking fearfully around. {Y... fill with drugs?}
Leo sighed miserably. "You took a couple of really bad head injuries in the storm, Mikey," he said softly. "If it wasn't for the ship's doctor you would have died. He had to give you medicine for both the pain and to guard against infection."
Mikey blinked uncertainly. Was that really true?
"You have five stitches above your temple," Leo explained quietly, touching gently just to the side of them, "and... Asahi-sensei had to drill a hole in your skull because you were bleeding against your brain. If he didn't, the pressure building up inside your skull would have killed you. Therefore, you needed to be given medication to guard against infection and other things. I'm sorry, Mikey, I know how you feel about drugs now but we had no choice. It was that or lose you and there is no way we are willing to take that risk."
{Wot does... D think? Did... he eva com bak?} Mikey asked, afraid to hear the truth. Unfortunately, though, he needed to know.
"Do you remember what happened in the shipping container?"
Mikey froze momentarily as the terror of being alone and out of control in the darkness, followed by flashes of pain and confusion as his brothers tried so hard to keep him awake came back to him in a rush. 'Yes,' he finally blinked. He hadn't earlier but now Leo asked, he unfortunately did.
"Raph helped me bring you here and then left in search of Donnie," Leo replied hesitantly. "He probably just got caught in a bad spot and couldn't get back until the storm was over. Raph's probably found him already and will bring him down to see you after it's dark," Leo assured, guilty because he was possibly lying through his teeth to his vulnerable little brother.
Mikey stared at him blearily. Just how stupid did Leo think he really was? {If D ded, jus tell me, L,} he tapped flatly.
"I really don't know, Mikey. Donnie's a smart turtle. He would have found somewhere safe to hole up if he couldn't get back. You know that, right?"
{D promisd to com bak soon, L. D smart but wud hav dun evrthing he cud to get bak,} Mikey tapped insistently, fighting to keep slow enough for Leo to follow.
"Yes, he would have if he could have but if he couldn't... Honestly, I don't know what happened to him but I have to have faith that he's out there somewhere and that he's okay. You should too," Leo said firmly. "Now, how about you have some water and get some more sleep?"
Mikey sighed in frustration. He was fed up with sleeping and could happily do without the accompanying nightmares but he could definitely use some water.
"Give me a moment, I'll be right back," Leo smiled gently before disappearing behind the curtain. A moment later, Mikey heard him talking in a low voice to someone on the other side.
-:-
Spot stared around his kennel in frustration. Nothing looked any different to him but it all felt completely different. His Alpha had dumped him back in here, removed the leash and pointed at his bed with an angry-sounding word and Spot had taken that as a sign to go there and stay and fearing further repercussions, he'd done just that.
Whining soundlessly to himself, he reached up to his face with his too heavy paws, trying to get the gag off but it was impossible. It wasn't as tight as the muzzle normally was but it was secure and without fingers, he couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Sighing with exhaustion, he flopped petulantly in place, wincing as he pinched his manhood by accident, unused to it hanging limply out in the open like this. Again, he concentrated on pulling it away but the moment he stopped concentrating on keeping it there, it flopped out into the open again and he screamed soundlessly in rage and frustration before eventually turning his mind to other matters.
He wondered what exactly Mai had done to him again, just why he suddenly couldn't understand anyone or... even think in words. He knew he should be bilingual for crying out loud and yet he couldn't think of a single word in any language beyond that of his own name and the names of Mai, Three and his Alpha. Scratch that, he stiffened angrily, he couldn't think of his Alpha's name, only that he was his Alpha even though he most definitely was not!
Then his thoughts turned to the other part of the 'conversation' he remembered. He knew what had been said but try as he might, he couldn't recall any of the words involved and fear filled him as he tried to picture his family.
He knew there were five of them, though four were more distinct in his mind, yet all he could see were shadowy figures of varying heights and shapes. The smallest was far in the distance and he had the impression that unlike the rest it was female and different somehow but otherwise, he couldn't be sure. Of the other four, two were far taller than the others, with the other two being almost the same height as each other but with very different builds, yet he couldn't make out anything else and couldn't even remember their names.
Terrified tears filled his eyes and he blinked them back desperately. They were so important to him so how could he have forgotten them so easily? Why had Mai done this to him when she'd said to the strange human that she wouldn't? Why had his Alpha even suggested it in the first place?
Alphas were supposed to protect, not hurt! Yet all his Alpha ever did was hurt him! Over and over.
His Alpha had taken everything from him now, even a good portion of his mind. He couldn't see what else could be done to him at this point but he didn't want to test it so wanting nothing more than to go out and use his sandpit but too scared to leave his bed, Spot shuddered where he laid curled miserably.
Sometime later, the door leading into his kennel abruptly opened and Three-Five-Eight stepped inside, asking something excitedly.
Spot stared up at the monster suspiciously, wishing he could understand when Three spoke again, this time with an accompanying visual command.
Sit... he wanted him to get up and sit.
Flushing in humiliation, Spot reluctantly sat up in an approximation of seiza but heavy paws out in front on the ground to steady him.
Just like a real dog would sit...
Three-Five-Eight's head angled down and Spot followed his gaze to see his penis hanging out again. The man smirked in cruel amusement under his mask and Spot curled back his lips from the gag, growling as he shifted to hide himself as best he could.
Placing the bowl down in front of him, Three laughed. After a minute of curiously watching him, he finally gave the visual command to eat and Spot stared at him incredulously.
How was he even supposed to eat with the disgusting sex toy still in his mouth? Seriously, did the human have no brains? He lifted a heavy paw, trying to motion at the gag but Three-Five-Eight ignored him.
[Lpw!] The man commanded again, this time, a warning edge in his tone as he held up the remote control for his shock collar.
Spot stared in fear, then shaking, lowered his head to the bowl, trying combinations of sucking the disgusting lumpy paste through the hole in the ball and poking his large tongue through it to get at it, all while Three-Five-Eight laughed uproariously at his antics.
[Xheer Spot,] he mocked in a nasty tone. [Xvni p xheer dog!]
Spot burned and unable to voice his displeasure any other way, he curled back his lips and growled again, glaring up at him.
Suddenly, Three-Five-Eight ripped the bowl away from him and said something else completely incomprehensible.
And the next thing Spot knew, he was chained in place and as he choked on the disgusting flesh poking in through the large hole in the gag, he realised exactly what the monster had meant, if not the words themselves.
"How about I give you something easier to fill your belly with."
-:-
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, contact:
https{:/}/www{.}1800respect{.}org{.}au/ in Australia
https{:/}/www{.}safeline{.}org{.}uk/ in the UK
https{:/}/www{.}rainn{.}org/ in the US
https{:/}/www{.}befrienders{.}org/ for other links internationally.
