Author's Note: Hello there, just as promised here's the second half of the chapter. We all hope you all enjoy this as we know this will be good as we worked hard on it.

Important Announcement: Taking a moment to inform you all that Glazier Blue and I may do one more chapter, after that we're going to need to take a break from this story. Due to real life commitments we won't have time to focus on this story together, so we'll be putting a temporary Hiatus on this until After Christmas. Like I said we may do one more chapter before than but we don't make any promises. We thank you all for your understanding.

Chapter 6: Tangled Web Part 2

Two sets of footsteps had rushed as far as the junk yard following Donatello's signal, as blue and red bandanna soon emerged from the shadows.

The exact location on their brother's tracker was still somewhere among the huge piles of junk. Raphael immediately groaned upon realizing where they were been led too, of course Donnie-boy had wondered off to the junk yard... without them!

Leo, though inwardly scowling, Donnie safety took priority, so he would save his long lecture for later... But what if Master Splinter was right? What if Donnie had been taken? Why was he not answering his shell-cell?

Already frantic with worry over there father, as Splinter had not yet come too after collapsing, but at least he was breathing ok. Until they could find help for their rat Master, they would first follow his orders. After carrying him to his room, they left him under the watchful eye of Mikey while they went to go and retrieve Donatello... At this point they didn't know what to make of all this. None of it made sense, especially Splinter's behavior... But one thing was for sure, if they just found their purple clad brother geeking out in a pile of broken electronic junk somewhere, then he was going to have his shell kicked from here to the lair!

That's what they were both hoping had happened, it would be better than Splinter's alternative scenario.

"Crud! It's trash day! I should have known the little brainiac would want to sneak out!" Raph ranted once again letting his worry for both his father and his brother take control of his temper.

"You mean like you do?" Leo regretted the comment as soon as it was out of his mouth, but it was true. Donnie, much to Leo surprise did tend to follow his rebellious brothers example. Raph knew it too, hench why he couldn't deny it, even to his annoying high and mighty leader.

"I'm different," Raph argued with an irritated groan.

"How?" Leo looked at him. "Do as I say, not as I do?" He smirked. At least Leo could say with pride that he always led by example.

"Damn right! I…well I don't get distracted... I am always watching my shell!" He spat without breaking his stride towards his smart brothers location. Leo however raised his brow, he could give a thousand examples to that statement been false, but he bit his tongue. Wasn't really the time to start a fight. "When we find him safe, I'll... I can... Well can we just lock him up in a big, padded box, for a year?!"

"Not that I am against that idea Raph, but he would just find a way out. No lock can hold our brainiac." Leo shook his head but he couldn't hide a bit of pride for his clever brother. "Look let's just find him, chastise him, then get him home to Splinter. Its him I'm worried about," The two exchanged a look.

"Fine... This way – what the shell is that noise?" The two suddenly came to a halt upon hearing a painful squealing. It wasn't that loud, but it was cringing, as something was in pain. Then they saw them! Just ahead of them were two rats fighting, one was larger and grey with bright red eyes...The other was brown. Though large, it was much smaller in comparison to its opponent. It didn't stand a chance. The two brothers grimaced as they watched the grey tear its throat out. The poor creature was squealing helplessly as its blood pooled onto the filthy gravel. Then a sudden crunch filled the air, and the brown rodent went limp before the other began to feast on it.

"Gross!" Raph almost gagged. "I do hope that wasn't Mikey's room rat, Bob." He winced watching the scene.

"This is why we haven't seen any of the normal rats around lately... They're being chased out. These lot eat their own kind!" Even Leo was looking a somewhat pale shade of green.

"Poor dude...I really can't think of a worse way to go...Come on let's go find Donnie. The red band turtle making haste following the red flashing dot on his phone. "It's just a few paces away now." They could almost hear the blip from Donnie's shell cell.

Knowing they were close the eldest decided to risk it and call out, "Don!"

"Get out here right now, we have an emergency!" Raph broke into a run pursuing the signal.

Leo sigh, shaking his head before catching up, only to round a corner and find their path blocked.

"What the - ? What happened here?" Leo gasped at the amount of debris blocking their path, one of the larger piles had tipped over.

"Great, now we have to climb over trash to find him!" Raph giving a dramatic huff.

"Careful Raph, there's a lot of jagged metal here."

"Thanks for the warning fearless but I am not blind." The hothead grumbled. He was just about to start scaling through the wreckage when something disturbing struck him. "Hey... you...You don't think Donnie's under here, do you?"

A mortified realization crossed over both their faces, If Donnie had been caught up in this, that would explain why he wasn't picking up. He could have been badly hurt, or even killed! Frantically the two brothers quickly started going through the pile calling out their brothers name.

Time passed as the two brothers desperately searched through the junk for any sign of their brother, but there didn't seem to be any. Every second that passed, they grew more frantic before Leo realized that the signal from Donnie shell-cell was still located further away. Without waiting he ran flat out for the remaining journey.

"RAPH!" Leo yelled upon spotting Donatello's duffel bag. His shell cell was nearby, disregarded along with his bo-staff. They were all far enough away from the collapsed pile.

"Sewer apples!" Raph was already at his side looking over his little brothers belongings. "Donnie-boy wouldn't have gone far without these. It's not looking like he's under all that, but where the shell is he then!?"

In the bag they only found Donnie's tools, along with pieces of junk. Nothing that left any clues. Splinter's words were now ringing louder in their ears... Someone had taken him.

"He's gone!? He's... stupid, stupid, stupid!" Raph words jumbled together into one long infuriated roll of anger. "I swear who ever has him, if he's been hurt, they're not going to survive!"

"Raph calm down, we need to focus!" Leo to his credit was restraining himself, but only until he knew which direction to point his sword. He had that look on his face. A look the leader didn't have very often, but when he did, everyone knew to get out of his way.

"Ok fearless let's focus! Who's the usual suspects? Karai?" Raph going down the list of potential kidnappers.

Leo shook his head, "No, despite our history, Karai would have definitely left a message saying it was her." Leo responded, zipping up the bag before placing it over his shoulder.

Raph nodded in agreement, "What about Bishop?" Getting impatient.

"That's another no. We wouldn't have found any traces of Don at all, as we wouldn't have his shell cell. Bishop wipes all traces, including any from his captives."

Raph mentally curse, they had experience with all their enemies. They knew their style, but this wasn't helping them find Don and they had already wasted too much time. "Sensi knows, he knew someone had taken Don, and he said 'he'. We need to get back and -"

*Beep* *Beep*

The sound of Leo shell cell disrupted the panic, It was Mikey calling and they both knew this situation was only just getting started of spiraling out of control, as Leo answered, "Mikey what's wrong?!"

"Dudes you need to get home, like now!" The youngster's tone was frantic.

"Why, what's going on?!" Leo's heart already beating fast was now sinking, thinking the worse.

"It's Master Splinter he's...he's…"

"Spit it out Mikey!" Leo forcing his calm.

"What's going on!?" Raph interjected.

"He was shaking, speaking in gibberish again! Then he went quiet for a bit, now it's like he's having a seizure… It looks different to how it is on TV. Guys am freaking out!" Mikey yelled and the two thought they could hear something in the background.

Leo contemplating a thousand different scenario's concerning his father's condition. Clearly it was getting worse, but how was it connected to Donnie's disappearance? The two eldest mirroring each other with the conundrum . Donnie needed them, but so did Master Splinter, where were they meant to go first?

"Ok Mikey don't panic. We're on our way, just get him onto his side and watch his breathing," Leo quickly hung up.

"What the shell's going on Leo!?"

"I don't know Raph but I don't think we are going to have to wait too long before we find out."

"What about Donnie? We can't just leave him in the clutches of shell knows who!"

"You said it yourself, sensei knew something had happened... What's happening to him is connected to Donnie, I just know it. I know it doesn't make any sense, but if we save sensei, we save Donnie. So, let's get going." The two took off at a run back the way they came, not at all aware of the fresh hell that was waiting for them.

While this had been going on, Splinter, unbeknown to his sons, wasn't doing much better. When the rat Master became aware again, instead of been in his quarters, he found himself in a whole world that was mostly darkness. He was disoriented and only remembered being afraid for his third youngest. He knew Donatello was in peril... But so was he. At first the world remained blurry as he tried to clutch his head, only to find his limbs restrained. Not completely, but it was an effort to move and when he did, it felt like tiny sharp pins were stabbing into his body. As he claws his way back to "reality," dizziness accompanied it. Where was he? He recognized this as the same place he had seen Donatello in his mind, only he was no longer there. It could only be described as a void, but it wasn't empty, as others were here with him. Splinter ears twitched as he picked up the sound of other rats... Many other smaller rats and if the large rat wasn't mistaken, they sounded like they were in pain. This alone sent alarm bells.

It took a while before he could make sense of his surroundings. The sea of black illuminated many of the other grey rats scattered around him, as they too were all trapped. Visually they looked as though they were court up in some giant size spider web that went on for miles and miles, only the many fine sharp threads were not just binding the rodents, they were actually going through their flesh, from their heads to their toes, like spikes. Strung up like this, they should have bled out and died by now. No wonder the little creatures were wailing. Despite it, Splinter's heart couldn't help but go out to them, as he also noticed red lights pulsing their way through the lines. When the light made contact with the rodents, they squealed. It was obvious that this was not physically the real world he was in, but that didn't seem to be making the pain any less real. Splinter though trapped and suspended in the air, could see the thin lines had not penetrated through his flesh as of yet. He was just caught up in it like a fishing net. So tight, they threatened to cut into him, he was unable to move enough to free himself.

"Donatello!?" he called out, but it was drowned out by the screams of the thousands of other rats.

But if this wasn't the real world, where was he? It wasn't the spirit plane, as he definitely wasn't meditating. No, this was somewhere else, and he was trapped in it along with all these other creatures.

"You fear me Splinter? I hope not. You are home now, among your own kind."

The rat master closed his eyes preparing himself as that dreadful voice washed over him like ice water. He had taunted him, using Donatello to lure him here.

"Where are you!? What have you done to my son?" The rat master growled to the disembodied voice.

"Your son's blood taste divine. I will enjoy feasting on every last bit of him."

The father's blood ran cold as anger coursed through him, "You harmed my child!" Gritting his teeth. His body trembled from the rage. "You will PAY!"

This was followed by amused laugh, "That's it, give into your urges. The years of trying to evolve beyond that and denying what you really are was always going to come to nothing! You are a rat! Granted a superior rat, but a rat none the less, and I am your true Master. I am the Rat King!"

"You are NOT my Master!" Splinter could only yell out into the depths of the web.

"Oh, Splinter if that was true then you would not be here."

"Where is here? What have you done to these creatures?" Splinter again looked at all the suspended rodents, hanging with a multitude of fine sharp pulsing wires running through them.

"You're all in my mind. You are not fully integrated, at least not yet. Every one of my pets consciousness belongs to me, as they no longer have to think for themselves. No conflict. The fine threads is just a telepathic image I have created for you all to see how my thoughts bind you all together, like a hive mind, and they have become extensions of me. They only know my thought's. I see through all their eyes and ears. We are all one... I guess you could say there my puppet's, but I like to think of them as my pets."

"But you're hurting them!" Splinter said appalled.

"They feel my pain, but I decided that pain is something we all must suffer for a higher purpose." Splinter heard the suffering in the rat kings voice, but he quickly repressed it before moving on. "I have evolved passed that. You'll understand once you have joined us. Your abilities and my mind, we will accomplish great things in the real world. Just surrender to me and it will be over for all your son's quicker."

"Never! You barbaric monster."

The rat king sigh as though disappointed, "It is inevitable. You belong to me, not them! It's time you took your place."

"UGH...A-Arrgh!" Splinter screamed has the sensation felt like very long sharp needles threading through him. From his head to the tips of his fingers and toes, down to his inner core. Becoming telepathically linked with the rat king, he could feel him through the lines, piercing his skull and slithering into his brain. "NO! I will not surrender. I will fight you every step of the way. I will be relentless until I drive yououuuuu-!" Another scream cut Splinter off as red light started to pulse through him and he could hear the rat king now inside his mind. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He shouted but it was no use. Never before had Splinter lost a battle of the mind, but he had never had to battle from within before. He could feel himself becoming a prisoner within his own body as the other took hold of every thought, idea and memory he had ever had.

"It would be a lot less painful if you didn't resist. No matter. You can help me with my first order of business," The rat king said nonchalantly. "I want to see your memories of the purple turtle. He is not too helpful, and I wish to know his weaknesses." It was then Images of Donatello flashed up in Splinter's mind without any resistance. Starting with him as an un-mutated turtle with his brothers in a coffee cup, to an infant with those big brown eyes... To a child, to a teen. It was as though Splinters wall had just been deleted. The rat king was looking through the rats memories like flicking through the pages of a file.

Purple? Did he mean Donatello? Splinter was too distracted to answer as he experience what felt like his own muscles been ripped apart. He could also feel what all the other rats in the web were feeling together. He wondered if this was affecting his body in the real world. His other sons wouldn't know what was happening to him before it was too late.

"Just as I suspected... He thinks he is a disappointment to you! Always comparing himself to his... oh they're brothers! How tragic. You seem quite worried about him as a ninja. Tell me, is it true? Is he a disappointment?"

"No! And you won't...harm...him! Donatello is stronger than you will ever be, he just doesn't know it yet."

"I look forward to seeing that." He could hear the chuckle in the tone. "But in the meantime, we will need to make sure the others don't interfere. Your body, my mind." The meaning of what the rat king was really planning was obvious.

"NO!" Splinter tried to lash out attacking, but there was nothing to fight and both arms were immobile. No strength physically or mentally could currently free him.

"The choice is no longer yours, my pet! Kill them!"

"Raph! Leo! Where the shell are you!?" Mikey could only scream mentally as he watched his Master. Mikey had not left his father side since the other had left to find Donatello. What happened before Splinter collapsed was disturbing enough... now however he could only describe as terrifying, and he didn't know what to do. The rats eyes were open but had rolled into the back of his head as he violently thrashed on the bed. Mikey was trying to hold him down only to stop him from hurting himself.

"Sensei please wake up!" Mikey was on the verge of tears. After some time however his violent movement slowed. His breathing calmed and his eyes closed. He looked almost peaceful. Still Mikey just held him, not daring to move as though it was his grasp alone keeping him alive. The young teen could feel his heart in his throat and his hands were shaking. Slowly he let him go, brushing his fur away from his eyes as he checked his breathing. "S-Sensei?" He whispered afraid his heart could stop any moment.

There was no response, but Mikey heard something coming from the lair. Leo and Raph must be home? Finally! The orange banded turtle turned away from the cot with every intention of getting up when he suddenly felt a hand grip his. "Master Splinter?"

He watched his father take a calming deep breath before opening his eyes. When he did so however, his pupils were glowing a dark bloody red! Mikey only had time to gasp has the grip on his arm tightened. The rats baring his teeth as he released an insidious growl. His other hand shot up grabbing the young turtle by the throat and Mikey froze in terror at the look of murder in his father's eyes.

A/N: Hope you like. Can't believe it eh? RK influencing Splinter and the other rats like that. And now Leo, Raph and Mikey have a nasty surprise waiting for them. Want to say what's going to happen but can't as that is a spoiler. Either way I hoped you enjoy it and like mentioned earlier we will be taking a break from the story until after Christmas. One more chapter, maybe, but we can't make any promises. Thank you all and we love to hear your feed back. Till next time.