Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the TMNT franchise in any way, shape, or form. No money is being made. This is just a labor of love for the series. Please don't sue me, Viacom!
Alternate Universe fic.
Warning: Violence and very mature themes are ahead! If you aren't comfortable with the idea of reading such things, please do not continue past the line below!
A/N: (waits a few minutes to make sure everyone that felt they had to leave did so) Everyone else good? OK then. I trust ya'll to know your own limits. Having said that, I do hope you won't want to strangle me after this chapter. ^^; I want to thank all my readers for their support, especially those precious ones that have honored me with a review, a favorite, and/or a follow. You guys mean the world to me! Seriously, you guys keep me going! I wish I could hug you. :)
Just so you guys know, there will be no author's note at the end of this chapter. I'm worried about it taking away from the impact of the final scene. SO, I will ask you to please remember to follow, favorite, and/or review here! It means the world to me. Now, I will let you get to reading! And in the meantime, I'm gonna go hide because I'm sure you guy are gonna hate me for what happens in this chapter. (runs for it)
Chapter 10
The practice dummy swayed as Raphael punched the stuffing out of it. He wished it was a Kraang droid. Or that mutant April told them about. It didn't matter which; Raph just wished that he could make something bleed instead of sitting here with his thumbs up his nose. The dummy thumped against the bandage on his arm. He winced. The sudden pain ignited his fury and he laid into the dummy with a viciousness he hadn't shown in a while.
After a few more moments of this treatment, the rope that held the dummy aloft called it quits. It snapped and the dummy went flying across the lair with the force of Raph's kick. "Sewer bunnies," he muttered, glaring at the dummy as though this was its fault. "DON-" he started to shout but he stopped short. Donnie wasn't there and the swift realization felt like a knife to the heart.
You would think that he'd have gotten that through his head by now. After all, everything seemed determined to remind him of his little brother's absence. Even the lair itself screamed about how empty it was without their resident genius. He'd never realized just how much noise Donnie made in his lab. Now its deathly stillness made Raphael feel queasy.
Raph swallowed as he realized that he'd have to go inside. The lab was where the replacement rope was kept. He'd been avoiding it ever since that night. It just didn't feel right to go in while Donatello was gone. A weak smile crossed his face. He could almost hear Donnie chewing him out for ruining some science thing he had going on. His eyes squeezed shut at the pain the thought caused. He really didn't want to go in there.
But the dummy wasn't going to fix itself and it was the only thing keeping him sane. At least until they went out on patrol. Then he could take out his anger on some Foot. That would satisfy him until Leo finally figured out how to get Donnie home. Raph took a deep breath before he gripped the handles and opened the heavy doors.
Donatello hissed as warm water washed over split skin. He watched little rivulets of red trickle from his wounds with a frown. It had been five meals since he'd acquired these excruciating things and they sure were taking their sweet time to heal. He awkwardly reached across the sink that he'd hiked his foot into so he could get some soap. His cuts burned fiercely the minute the lather touched them but he ignored the pain. The last thing he needed was for one of his feet to get infected. He already had enough problems walking thanks to Horse's near religious attacks on the leg he'd strained on day one. Undoubtedly Horse was trying to make sure that if Donatello ever actually got out of his cell his progress would be slow. After Donnie had finished washing and gently drying his injuries, he gripped the edges of the sink so he could maneuver himself onto the nearby toilet without touching his foot to the floor. He pressed several layers of paper towels to the bottom of his foot and then began to wrap it like he normally would so that the improvised lint would stay in place.
Now that both feet were done, he wiggled his toes to make sure he hadn't inadvertently restricted their movement or blood flow. Then Donnie hauled himself up and limped over to his usual corner. He settled down, closing his eyes so that he could try to meditate. It was his one true escape. The Kraang mechanic responsible for repairs had been so irritated with his repeated breakout attempts that it welded the access panel shut. As for trying to remove his restraints, the last time he tried he'd nearly lost a finger. It was becoming apparent that the best thing Donatello could do was remain hopeful for rescue…and vigilant for any slip-ups from his captors.
He heard the cell door hiss open but paid no attention to it. It was probably his food and that was nothing he was in a terrible hurry to get to. His eyes promptly opened the moment he heard the now too familiar clip-clop of hooves on metal. Horse came to a stop in front of him with a plate in his hands. Donnie's eyes narrowed sharply. "If you think I'm going to do tricks for that sludge, you've got another think coming," he snarled, indignation overriding his usual nervousness.
Horse chuckled at Donatello's bravado. "After everything you have been put through, it amazes and impresses me that you still have such spirit, my little colt," he said while crouching down in front of the turtle. Donnie bared his teeth and was just about to snap out a particularly nasty obscenity when a flash of red from the plate caught his attention. His food was never red. He looked and couldn't believe his eyes.
In place of the usual blue slop was a mound of vibrant strawberries. Donnie felt his mouth instantly fill with saliva. He swallowed it down before he embarrassed himself by drooling. Horse followed Donnie's gaze. "I reminded the Kraang that their rations do not have every nutrient an Earth creature needs for survival. Afterwards, they gave me permission to change your meals," he said with a smile and offered the plate to Donnie. "These have what you are most in need of right now. I will make sure your next meal is more varied."
Donatello swallowed again. Oh, how he missed real food! He had started to reach for the plate when his mind screamed at him. This had to be a trick: offer the near starving turtle actual food and then demand information in exchange for said food. Donnie frowned at the plate, then at Horse. "I'm not falling for that," he thought dourly. The other mutant looked truly bewildered when Donnie folded his arms across his plastron and turned his head away.
"Hmm, perhaps you are a carnivore?" Horse murmured. "But then, you would not have looked interested to begin with." He watched Donatello for a moment. Then he set the plate down in front of the smaller mutant and moved to sit just far enough so that Donnie was out of arm's reach.
Now it was Donnie's turn to look confused. If manipulating him with food wasn't Horse's game, then what was? He had to be up to something…right? Donnie's eyes returned to the strawberries. They looked so good and he was so hungry. Against his better judgment, he tentatively picked up one. He was just about to eat it when he stopped and searchingly sniffed at it.
Horse rolled his eyes. "You know that we have already tried dosing you with chemicals. Truth serums, pain-causing drugs, you name it and we have tried it. You have resisted them all. If injecting you with them did not work, surely having you ingest them would not be any better," he stated while clearly trying not to sound exasperated. All he earned from Donatello was a suspicious scowl. Horse sighed at this before he slid himself into range of Donnie again which immediately put the turtle back on edge. He reached for the plate, closed his eyes, picked a strawberry at random, and without hesitation popped it in his mouth. Then he returned to where he had been sitting as he cheerfully chewed the stolen berry.
Donnie watched Horse intently, waiting to see if he'd keel over. When nothing happened, he returned his attention to the strawberry he held. He hadn't smelled anything strange about it. If it was laced with something, why would Horse risk dosing himself? Donatello narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He didn't completely trust that little stunt. Maybe a larger portion needed to be consumed in order to have an effect and that's how Horse avoided being drugged.
The debate raged in Donnie's mind until he hit upon one fact that he couldn't reason away. The Kraang could have dosed him in his food ages ago. He choked down the rations without hesitation already so why risk making him leery by changing the food? It just didn't make sense. Besides, what would happen if he continued to refuse the new meal plan? Would they go back to giving him those disgusting rations? Did he really want to chance that? "Heck no!" he muttered to himself.
Donnie cautiously began to eat the berry he'd picked up. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted and it took every ounce of willpower he had to keep from scarfing the rest of the plate right then. He forced himself to slow down, to analyze that one berry for any strange tastes that would give away the presence of drugs or toxins. From what he could tell, Horse was actually telling the truth; there was nothing tainting his food.
That was all the encouragement Donatello needed. He essentially attacked the rest of the plate. Each berry was like a little piece of bliss and his undernourished body felt like it was singing. Forget pizza, right now his favorite food was strawberries! More than half the plate was gone before he started showing any signs of slowing his ravenous pace. Once he had slowed down, he returned his attention to the other mutant. Horse wore a pleased, bordering on smug smile. Donnie really wanted to punch it off of him. He pushed the urge aside and instead gave voice to the question that now burned in his mind. "Why?"
His keeper raised an eyebrow. "You are no good to the Kraang if you die from malnutrition," Horse responded plainly.
"It would take a long time for that to happen. A lot longer than I've been here I'm sure. So, care to try again?"
Horse's smile broadened at this. "Very well." He seemed to be considering something before his smile became more of a wry smirk. "Would you believe me if I said that I find you intriguing?" he finally asked as he rested an elbow on one of his knees, placed his head in the now propped up hand, and gave Donnie a look that felt like it was boring into him.
Donatello was taken aback and he looked away while shifting uncomfortably under Horse's gaze. "What is with this guy? Does he get a kick out of weirding me out?" He looked at the other mutant out of the corner of his eyes and swallowed nervously. "Keep it together, Donatello. It's got to be a tactic to keep you off balance. Don't let him get to you," he tried to tell himself. "No," Donnie bluntly answered after he'd managed to compose himself, making Horse nicker in amusement.
"Had a feeling you would say that. At least I got a reaction other than a glare out of you," Horse said, his smirk transforming into a naughty grin. He chuckled some more at the return of Donnie's disgruntled scowl before he sighed heavily and became more somber. "Honestly? I know what it is like to feel your vitality slowly drain away day by day. It is not something I would wish on anyone. I may not have the authority to increase the number of feedings you get, but at least I can make sure what you do get is more nutritious."
Steam rushed out of the oven the moment its door opened. Michelangelo peered inside and grinned excitedly. "Sweet! All done!" He grabbed an oven mitt so he could snag his creation out of the oven. His grin somehow widened even more as he placed the bubbling pizza onto the counter. "Hmm…let's see. Pepperoni? Psh, of course. Mushrooms? Totally. Artichoke hearts? Awesome! And now for the final touch," he said while he grabbed a bag that was sitting nearby and pulled it open to shake its contents all over the top of the pizza. "Chocolate chips!" He laughed in delight and examined his handiwork. "PERFECT!" He glanced at the kitchen clock. "Just in time too. I gotta get going or I'm gonna miss the beginning!" he said, gathering up the pizza and racing into the living room. He almost ran over Raphael in his rush.
Watch it, Mikey!" Raph growled irritably.
"Sorry, bro! Didn't see you there," Mikey apologized with a grin. Raph muttered something under his breath before he returned his attention to the practice dummy. Mikey ignored his grumpy shell brother and hustled over to TV so he could settle himself on the floor in front of it. After he snatched up the remote, he flicked through the channels until he found the one he was looking for.
Raph was just getting back into his rhythm when he heard the theme song for the show Mikey was watching. He froze mid-punch and grunted when the dummy thumped into his plastron. "What the?" he thought while he came over to make sure he was hearing things.
"Will a boat crashing into a channel marker cut itself in half? And can a surfboard be launched through the windshield of a car and still be lethal? We're about to find out! Tonight on Mythsmashers!" the show's narrator announced.
"Cool! This is going to be awesome!" Mikey said excitedly while reaching for a slice of pizza.
Raph couldn't believe his eyes. "Since when do you watch this nerd-fest? Can you even understand what they're saying?" he demanded.
"I can get it! Well, sometimes. Especially when they use pictures," Mikey said, his smile never wavering despite how angry Raphael sounded. "And this show's epic! You should see some of the stuff they do to try and get the myth to work. They're crazy dudes!"
"What the heck, Mikey? I'm doing everything I can to NOT think about Donnie and here you are doing the exact opposite!" Raph snarled furiously. "Watching Donnie's favorite show, eating his favorite pizza. Why are you punishing yourself like this?"
Mikey's smile fell like stone and the sorrow that he struggled to keep hidden finally filled his eyes. "Because if I keep thinking about Donnie, maybe he'll sense it somehow and not think that we've ditched him," Mikey weakly replied.
Raph's eyes widened in shock before they squeezed shut and he turned his head away from Mikey. Just the idea of Donnie thinking that they had completely abandoned him made Raph's heart throb. He looked at Mikey out of the corner of his eyes. His baby brother looked miserable while he quietly nibbled on his pizza and returned his attention to the TV even though his enthusiasm for the show was gone. Raph swallowed hard; he hated seeing Mikey like this. Michelangelo was supposed to be insufferably happy and bubbly, not depressed and disheartened. Raphael took a deep breath and walked over to sit down next to Mikey who looked at him questioningly. "Think there's enough of that pizza for two?" Raph asked as he tried to smile for Mikey. The smaller turtle blinked in surprise for a moment before the optimistic light returned to his eyes and he beamed back. He grabbed the pizza so he could offer Raph a slice and put it in front of the both of them.
April sighed softly while she watched Raphael and Michelangelo interact. It was a relief to see that Raph had finally managed to pull himself away from that practice dummy long enough to see that he wasn't the only one suffering. Mikey had been putting up a brave front, especially around his brothers, but April knew better. Not having Donatello around was tearing him apart. There were a few times that she'd caught him staring into Donnie's bedroom like he was hoping that if he looked long enough Donnie would materialize out of thin air and tell him that it had all been a big mistake. April had been doing her best to keep his morale up, but what Mikey really needed was his brothers. He'd always been the most sociable of the four but with Leo preoccupied with the rescue plan and Raph obsessed with beating SOMETHING up, their interactions had dwindled to training and patrols. It wasn't healthy for any of them to be so isolated in this time of crisis and maybe now, at least Raph and Mikey could start helping each other cope.
She turned to go to the dojo so she could practice some when she noticed that there was light filtering out from a small part between the lab doors. The lab had been dark all this time because none of them really wanted to go inside. It was Donnie's domain and everyone seemed to silently agree that it was too painful to go inside during his captivity. Why would there suddenly be light coming from it? She decided to go investigate and when she peered inside her heart nearly jumped into her throat. "Donnie?" she thought while she gaped at the turtle that was sitting at Donatello's worktable, reading with a thirst for knowledge that she'd only seen in Donnie's eyes.
When she came into the lab, a groan from the old metal door made the turtle lift his gaze to her. "Hey, April," Leonardo tiredly greeted, his blue eyes becoming concerned once he'd gotten a good look at her. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
April nodded while she tried to not break down. Her blind hope and the lighting in the room had made her foolishly mistake Leo's blue mask for Donnie's purple. She felt a pang of shame that THAT was all it took for her to confuse her friends. It didn't matter how stressed she was, they had distinct physical differences and she felt that should know each one by heart by now. "It's…it's nothing, Leo. Don't worry about it," she tried to reassure him but he didn't look convinced. "What are you doing?" she asked while she came over, hoping to distract him.
Leo sighed and returned his attention to the book in front of him. Once she was closer she could see that the pages inside were made up of discolored graph paper. Each page was filled from top to bottom with handwritten sentences, formulas, charts, and even what looked like schematics. "Reading Donnie's journals," Leo answered. When she didn't say anything, he returned his eyes to her and turned very pink at her reproving expression. "LAB journals, April! They're lab journals, not personal ones," he reassured her and handed over the book so she could examine it. "Every idea Donnie's had. Every project he's ever worked on. If he had time to write it down, it's in one of these books." He gestured at the nearly full bookshelf behind him.
April stared at the plethora of journals. "You've read all of them?!"
Leo managed a soft laugh at her disbelieving tone. "No. I've been focusing on the ones from this year," he said, picking up a different journal and slowly thumbing through it. "I remember Donatello saying that some of the Kraang facilities having a type of card key access. The place where he's being held seems to have that kind of system installed. I was trying to see if he wrote down something on the best way to bypass it. Well, something that I can actually understand. I'm sure all this is perfectly clear to him, but to me, it may as well have been written in Arabic."
April smiled a bit even though she could tell that Leo was frustrated. Donnie did have the habit of sounding like he was speaking a different language. She found it funny that the habit continued on paper. Of course, she doubted that Donnie ever expected one of his brothers would feel the need to try and read his lab journals so why would he go to the trouble of dumbing things down? "I remember him having a device that he called a 'digital lock-pick.' Maybe that would help?" she offered.
Leo nodded at her. "He mentions that a few times. I even found the journal where he sketched out the schematic for it, but I can't seem to find IT anywhere," Leo said as he grabbed a different journal, flipped through it until he found what he was talking about, and showed it to April.
She looked at the image and nodded. "Yeah, that's it alright," she confirmed. She suddenly got this disappointed expression on her face. "Knowing Donnie, he probably had it on him when we went to the Kraang base," April said sadly.
It didn't take long for Leo to sigh in disappointment. "Yeah," he said weakly, resting his hand over his eyes. "You're probably right. Why would he leave something like that behind?"
April swallowed down an emotional lump as she watched Leonardo. Every failed attempt to rescue Donatello ate at Leo's confidence. Realizing that the straw he'd been grasping at wasn't really there was yet another blow. He looked and sounded so defeated. She tried to think of something she could do…something that might help him regain at least some energy to keep trying. Her eyes fell back to the journal she was still holding. She could almost hear Donnie's voice while she read his words and it brought a small smile to her face. "You know, thanks to my dad, I've always been around scientists. I've glanced in a lot of lab journals, but none of them have been as neatly written as Donnie's," she quietly commented, using her fingers to trace the effortless flow of Donnie's cursive.
"You should see his calligraphy," Leo piped up while taking his hand from his eyes so that he could rest his head against it instead.
April looked at Leo in astonishment. "Donnie does calligraphy?" she asked, her tone incredulous. She found it hard to believe someone as scientifically minded as Donatello would do something so…artistic.
Leo's smile faintly returned. "Technically, we all do. Splinter insisted on having it in our lessons until we were twelve. Then he gave us the choice of continuing or stopping. Raph, of course, found it boring so he dropped it. Mikey, all he wanted to do was paint with the ink so Sensei let him do that." He smiled a bit more, the look in his eyes becoming far away. "Only Donnie and I kept up with it. I continued because I thought it would make Splinter happy if at least one of us did. Also, I find that it helps me focus better when I do it before I meditate. Donnie…I think Donnie does it because he finds it calming." He chuckled quietly and focused his attention back to April. "You know how high-strung he can get." April chuckled as well. You would have to be deaf AND blind to not notice Donnie's freak-out moments. Leo sighed suddenly, his expression becoming worried. "I sure hope he's alright."
April looked downward for a moment. Then she moved over to Leonardo and hugged him. He stiffened up at first but then he relaxed in her grasp and returned the hug. "Once we get him out of there he will be, Leo. I know he will be," she steadfastly said.
"IF we get him out," Leo murmured in a demoralized fashion.
April frowned and pulled away from Leo so she could look him in the eyes. "Leo, you can't think like that!" she chided making him look at the floor. "I know it's hard not to, but you just can't. Donnie's depending on us, on you, to get him out of there. That kind of talk makes it sound like you're giving up on this. Like you're giving up on him." He refused to meet her gaze. She gave him a wounded look when a dreadful thought ran through her mind. "You aren't giving up on him, right?" she questioned tentatively. Leo instantly looked up at the question and for a brief moment his expression was stunned, then his eyes became as pained as hers.
"DUDE! DID YOU SEE THAT!?" Raphael's sudden shout startled the both of them into looking towards the living room. They gave each other a confused look before they went to see what had Raph so excited. "They just DESTROYED that boat!" they heard him say with a laugh when they came into the main room. April couldn't help but smile. That was the first laugh she'd heard from Raphael in days.
"Rocket-sled launched channel marker will do that, bro!" Mikey laughed while he clapped his arm around Raph's shoulders and gestured at the TV. "See? I told you! This show is AWESOME!"
Raph looked over his shoulder and grinned when he saw Leonardo and April. "Leo!" He got up and met them half-way. "When we get Donnie home, remind me to give him a good punch in the nose! Scrawny dork's been holding out on us!"
Leo stared for a moment before he blinked away his amazed expression. He returned Raph's grin with a small smile. "Raph, Donnie's told you about this show before. Every time he did, you just told him 'Blah, blah, science, blah, blah' and walked away. You can't blame him for giving up."
"Well…fine. I won't punch 'em. I'll tighten his mask instead!" Raph promised with an aggressive smirk. Judging by the way Mikey winced April suspected that was the turtles' equivalent to a wedgy.
"If you can REACH it," Leo actually teased while folding his arms across his plastron. His small smile became a happy grin. Raph snorted irritably at the poke about his height before he returned to Mikey's side. Leo watched his brothers for a while. As he did, April noticed that his eyes were becoming a little teary despite the grin that was still on his face. She rested a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and quickly wiped at his eyes. "Heh, h-he said 'when,' April. 'When we get Donnie home…'" Leo said his voice a little choked. April smiled in relief when his entire bearing became more like his confident, steadfast self. "If someone as skeptical as Raphael can still have complete faith that we'll get Donatello home, so can I."
"Wait just a minute! If you're only a year older than me, then exactly WHERE do you get off calling me 'little colt'?!" Donatello demanded hotly.
Horse chuckled at Donnie's little display of temper. "While our ages may not be that different, I was mutated only two years ago. As a normal horse, I was already an adult and in the prime of my life. From what I understand of your origins, you were an infant when you were mutated. I call you 'little colt' because I am more mature than you…so in my eyes, you are a little colt."
"I think that's pretty thin," Donnie grumbled, crossing his arms irritably and making Horse laugh even more.
"Then again it could just be that I enjoy seeing the incensed fire in your eyes every time I say it," Horse teased.
Donnie huffed, plucked up a carrot stick from his plate, and absently nibbled on it while he tried to think of some way to continue the discussion. After the first time Horse had given him a decent meal, Donnie realized that Horse liked to interact with him. To the extent that if Donatello could just get him talking, Chatty Cathy would become too preoccupied to torture him. Even getting Horse in the mood to talk was really quite easy as long as Donnie avoided questioning the Kraang's motives or reminding Horse of his assignment.
It seemed that the other mutant didn't get much in the way of socialization from the Kraang. Thanks to that fact, Horse was starved for it. Donatello still had to be careful. Even in their conversations, Horse tried to manipulate the topics and play mind games with him in an attempt to trick him into giving up too much information. So far, Donnie had successfully foiled these subtle interrogation attempts. He had to respect his captor's persistence, though.
Donatello and Horse had been doing this little dance for six meals now. Most of Donnie's injuries had healed leaving his right leg and feet as the only real problem areas left. He was hoping to keep Horse distracted long enough for him to fully recover. If he could just manage that, he could try to surprise Horse, outmaneuver him, and make an escape.
He was just about to say something when a chirp sound interrupted him. Both he and Horse blinked in surprise. Horse glanced slightly to the side before he reached into his pocket to pull out a communicator. The device chirped again in his hand but Horse seemed really hesitant to answer. "Duty calls?" Donnie questioned with an eye ridge arch.
Horse took a deep breath. "Indeed," he said quietly. He pulled himself to his feet and moved a few paces away from Donatello where he answered the device with a timid, "Yes, Kraang?"
Donnie watched Horse for a few moments. He couldn't hear what the Kraang were saying, but Horse's side of the conversation plus his whole demeanor seemed to indicate that he was getting chewed out. Donnie caught himself feeling sorry for the other mutant. He shook his head briskly before glaring daggers at Horse's back. "Why am I feeling sorry for HIM?! He tried to kill me! Now he's holding me captive, interrogating me, and torturing me! I should be enjoying the fact that he's in trouble. Of course, knowing my luck, he's in trouble because he hasn't made any headway with me." He looked down at the floor as he swallowed nervously.
His eye ridges furrowed and turned his head to the side curiously as he spotted something on the floor where Horse had been sitting. He gasped quietly when he realized that it was the remote control for his restraints. It must have fallen out of Horse's pocket when he answered the Kraang's call. He quickly glanced at Horse. The other mutant still had his back to Donnie; he hadn't noticed his mistake yet. Donatello looked back to the remote and swallowed again because his mouth felt unexpectedly dry. He already had an escape plan. It just required more time. He needed to be patient and wait until he was fully recovered so he could have the best chance of getting out.
"SERIOUSLY!" he angrily scolded himself. "You are seriously considering passing up this chance to wait and hope that he doesn't start tormenting you again? What is wrong with you!? You DON'T let luck like this just pass you by!" He looked up at Horse again when he heard the other mutant mention his name.
"I promise I have been trying! Donatello is just- I have tried everything else, Kraang! Please, let me have more-"
"Sounds like the Kraang are getting impatient," Donnie thought anxiously. "The 'wait and heal first' plan isn't practical anymore. I need to get out of here…NOW." He carefully got onto his hands and knees. Then he slowly crept towards the remote control while trying to keep an eye on Horse. Donnie was halfway there when he could tell that the lecture was wrapping up. He tried to close the gap faster without getting Horse's attention prematurely.
"Yes, Kraang. I understand and obey," Horse feebly responded to his irritated taskmaster. He sighed in a seemingly resigned manner when the connection ended and turned to look at the turtle. His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw that Donatello was inches from grabbing the control device. He immediately rushed at Donnie.
Donnie grinned excitedly at the device as he reached for it. That grin vanished the moment he heard hooves striking metal and looked up to find Horse charging him. An alarmed squeak escaped before he lunged for the remote. Horse plowed into him, hurling him across the cell. Donnie crashed into the wall and lay still for a moment as he tried to figure out how to breathe again. His hand had brushed the remote just as Horse connected with him. The sudden movement caused his hand to flick the device, sending it sliding across the floor to the other side of the cell.
Horse made an annoyed sounding snort while glaring at Donatello who returned the glare with equal parts determination and animosity. He turned his back to the downed turtle so he could retrieve his remote control. Just as he bent down to pick it up, he heard a loud shout and pain exploded behind his left knee as Donnie's kick connected with it. He fell to one knee and twisted his upper body around only have more pain blossom when Donnie punched him right between the eyes. It made his world blur and reminded him of just how big a mistake it was to underestimate his captive. Horse yelped in pure shock when Donatello took advantage of his dazed state to grab him by his long tail. Donnie pulled with all the strength he had and flung Horse as far away from the remote as he could. Horse crashed in a jumbled heap near the front of the cell. A low groan slipped out while he tried to regain his senses.
Donatello winced as his left shoulder sharply reminded him that it was still a little too tender to be tossing around mutants twice his size. He gripped it briefly but otherwise ignored its protests; he'd have plenty of time to rest it once he was home. A bright smile spread on his face when he scooped up the remote. He hurriedly looked it over, trying to figure it out instead of taking a chance on simple button mashing. The last thing he wanted to do right now was stick himself to the floor.
His body froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of Horse charging him again. He whirled around just in time for Horse to dive at him and grab him by his wrists. Donatello fell onto his carapace with Horse on top of him. They skidded across the floor from the force of the impact and came to a stop in Donnie's usual corner. Donnie knew he was in a difficult position to fight from but refused to give up; he still had the remote! All he had to do was get Horse off of him and he'd finally be free! He struggled frantically to free his arms while kicking at Horse with every bit of strength he could summon.
Despite the painful and relentless pummeling, Horse stubbornly held fast to Donatello. It would be his hide for sure if the turtle escaped. Horse just barely managed to pull Donnie's arms together so that he could stuff both of the smaller mutant's wrists into one hand. He used his now free hand to pry the remote from Donatello's grasp. Before anything else could happen, Horse pressed one of the activation buttons and easily pushed Donatello's wrists into the corner just above them. "NO!" Donnie cried out in utter dismay.
Horse chuckled breathlessly while the turtle futilely struggled beneath him. "Well… That was quite exhilarating," he said in-between his panting. He had the gall to look surprised when Donnie scowled at him with more fury in his eyes than Horse had ever seen before. Movement out of the corner of his eye made him instinctively raise a hand. Donatello's leg connected with his palm as he caught the kick that had been meant for his head. He smirked when Donnie's eyes went wide. Then he pushed another button on the remote and viciously slammed Donnie's leg against the nearby wall, making the turtle shriek with pain as his injured leg was aggravated yet again.
Now that he was certain he wasn't going to be attacked again anytime soon, Horse considered Donatello, who was now not only pinned but spread-eagled beneath him. The turtle's eyes were closed and his plastron heaved while he panted from pain and exertion. Sweat created little rivers down his neck and arms. Horse seemed to be enjoying the show the smaller mutant was unwittingly giving him. He reached out a hand to caress it against Donnie's cheek.
Donatello's eyes flew open at the touch and he bared his teeth hostilely. He snapped at Horse's fingers only just missing them. Whatever bit of tolerance he had left was clearly gone. Horse's eyebrows rose then he grinned down at Donnie. "Yes, I have to say that it IS your incensed fire that I enjoy. Well, one of the things I enjoy," he said with a chuckle. Donnie growled at him before looking away sullenly.
Horse's smile slowly fell while he watched the little turtle. When he spoke, his voice was quite solemn. "Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy our discussions, I must stop indulging myself with them. Kraang is getting exasperated. He says that my recent attempts to coax April O'Neil's location from you are not working. And he is right. You are too smart for me, little colt. Always one step ahead." Donnie's lips quirked up a bit in the ghost of a smug smile at Horse's admission. "However, seeing you like this, I realize that I was wrong when I told Kraang that I have tried everything." Donnie's smile disappeared and he looked at Horse out of the corner of his eyes. "I have one other thing I can try," Horse whispered as he brought his hands up to slowly…softly smooth his fingers down Donatello's plastron.
At first, Donnie was confused by the gentleness of the touch. How could being gentle force him to do anything? Suddenly he felt a tingling sensation run down his body. It made his eyes close as he gasped and then shivered. A dark chuckle from Horse yanked him out of his unexpected pleasure haze and back to the reality of his situation. "It amazes me just how much you can feel through that shell of yours," Horse purred while his hands continued their journey down Donatello's plastron.
Another unwanted thrill shot through him making Donnie grunt and his body shudder. His eyes widened in dawning horror. "Stop!" he commanded with as much force as he could muster up. "D-don't touch me! AAHH!" Donnie cried out in shock and his eyes snapped back closed when Horse touched him where no one else ever had.
"So that is where you keep it," Horse commented in a manner more befitting a scientist scrutinizing a specimen. "I had honestly been wondering. What else are you hiding down here, hmm?" he questioned with a chilling directness.
Donnie moaned and then cried out again. Horse's hands continued to move on him coaxing more tremors from his body. He bucked against his restraints, frantically trying to break free. He didn't want this. This was something intimate…something that was supposed to be shared with the person he loved and who loved him in return. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Why was his body responding!? He didn't want it to! He didn't want this! All he wanted to do was get as far away from this nightmare as he could. When he opened his eyes once again he could feel tears starting to sting at them. "S-stop. Please?" Donatello wanted to be sick when he heard himself beg. During his entire imprisonment, he'd not begged once, no matter how much pain he was in. He hadn't wanted to give Horse that gratification. But now…now he just wanted it…wanted THIS to end. "Please stop!" he whimpered, pleading for mercy.
"Really? You want me to stop?" Horse asked as he leaned more over Donnie so that he was face to face with the distraught turtle. He smirked when Donatello nodded vigorously at him. "Of course I will! Tell me where April O'Neil is and I will stop. All of this will stop," he promised even while he continued to molest the smaller mutant.
Donatello's eyes somehow widened even more than they already were. His head turned to the side to break eye contact with Horse and he tried to think past what was happening to him. Self-loathing coiled further into the pit of his stomach as, for half a second, he considered telling Horse what he wanted to know. "There is more at stake than just April!" his sensible side urgently reminded him. "The Kraang will be able to do whatever they want to this world if they get their tentacles on her. Not to mention, April's hiding place is the lair." His eyes slid close. He swallowed emotionally and whined pitiably under Horse's continued assault. "If I give April up, not only will I betray her but I will betray my brothers…my father."
Horse paused for a moment to patiently wait for Donatello to catch enough breath answer. When Donnie turned his face back towards him, Horse asked, "So, will you tell me where April is?"
Donatello slowly opened his eyes to fix Horse with a look that was somehow both tenacious and despairing. "No. I won't," he replied, his voice cracking. Tears finally trickled out of his eyes to be absorbed by his mask.
Horse seemed surprised before his own eyes closed. "It seems that Kraang will have to be frustrated a bit longer. However," Horse opened his eyes to leer at Donnie, "I do not see why I should be. Besides, you may change your mind after a bit more…persuasion."
Donnie's eyes filled with panic and he tried to hide his face against his arm. The tears flowed freely now. "Leonardo!" he thought while he squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying and failing to rein in his terror. "Michelangelo!" He whimpered when he felt Horse shifting position on top of him. "Raphael!" The sound of a zipper being unfastened seemed to echo in the cell and he couldn't prevent a choked sob from slipping out. "Sensei! Please! Help me!"