"So what are we going to do once we find the guys?" Casey asked as he drove the Party Wagon down the street towards the Shredder's lair.
"That will be determined once we have them," Rockwell stated where he sat on the floor of the party wagon close to Splinter, Leatherhead, and Slash. "Until then we have to hope they are able to hold on until we get there."
Master Splinter was sitting quietly with his eyes closed. The calmness he was exuding only belying the emotional turmoil he felt. He had been able to have contact with Leonardo only briefly, but it was still enough to let him know that horrible thing were being done to his sons….his children. He had to prepare himself for what he would find.
April sat in the cab beside Casey, sensing for the Turtles as they got closer to the Shredder's lair she gasped as she felt a surge of distress by one of her friends. A flash of Donnie's face appeared followed by what looked like a big ugly worm. The cuttlefish like tentacles opening savagely as though they were reaching out to grab their newest meal.
"Donnie!" She gasped aloud her eyes widened in a. The outburst immediately caught Splinter's attention.
"What is it April?" he asked in concern.
"I'm not sure…" April said as her mind tried to process the images she just saw. "But I think Donnie is in serious danger."
Donatello let out a small groan of pain as he struggled to enjoy the brief respite he currently had. Everything hurt as was forced to continually kneel with his hands held over his head. He could still feel the pulses of electricity that spread throughout his body courtesy of the Shredder. When the Shredder grew bored and left to go see to Karai, he allowed Fishface, Rahzar, and Stockman to have their fun with him.
Some of the assaults were physical with kicks from Fishface's robot legs to scratches from Rahzar's claws. Stockman took pleasure in taunting Donnie for his predicament.
"So much for the so-called "Smart One"," Stockman would crow. "How are you *buzz* going to think your way out of this one?" Other times he would hold pieces of food out to him, such as a slice of pizza, a sandwich, or a Choco-log bar.
"You hungry Turtle?" Stockman tauntingly would ask as he would hold the food item close to Donnie's face and then move it away when Donnie looked as though he was going to try and grab it. And then he would deliberately vomit stomach acid onto the food item devouring it whole while Donnie watched. The growl of his stomach painfully reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything in the last day and a half.
Then when Rocksteady and Bebop returned from whatever they were doing they had their fun tormenting him as well. It felt like there was hardly an inch of his body that wasn't bloodied, burnt, broken, or bruised.
For the time being, they had left to attend to their own business and tasks which Tigerclaw alone to guard the mutant turtle. Donnie closed his eyes to get what rest he could, though he wondered what sort of plans the Shredder had for him. The tech-savvy turtle didn't know what sort of plan the Shredder had in store for him. But this seemed like overkill for whatever it was. Why couldn't he just get it over with and send him back to his cell?
At that moment, Donnie jaw was grabbed by a large hand. Not roughly, but not gently either. The masked-terrapin didn't need to make many guesses as to who it was. After all, everyone else had gotten their amusement out of him, why shouldn't Tigerclaw.
The mutant tiger forced Donatello's mouth open with a hard squeeze upon his jaw bone before he felt the rim of a plastic bottle against his lips and water entered his mouth. The water was cold, clean, and refreshing against a dry throat that was raw from his screaming in pain. Unfortunately, he gulped down the liquid too quickly causing him to cough up some of it before he nearly drowned himself. Instinctively Tigerclaw drew away the bottle and slapped Donnie's back a couple times to help clear out the young turtles lungs.
"Drink it slowly, little one." Tigerclaw snarled.
"Why?" Donnie asked between coughs.
"Why did you ask me that question earlier?" Tigerclaw asked in return.
"Because…" Donnie rasped before Tigerclaw tipped the water bottle against the turtles lips once more. Donnie took a slow measured swallow of the liquid in his mouth and then spoke. "Because, I was genuinely interested in knowing, Master Splinter once said it's better to understand your enemy than to blindly fight them." Tigerclaw was silent in his response. His single remaining eye watching for any sign of manipulation, but there was none. The boy was being completely sincere.
"There may be some truth to that," Tigerclaw answered as he got up from where he was crouched and disposed of the water bottle before he returned to stand guard.
"Thank you…for the water," Donnie answered. Tigerclaw stiffened slightly the simple phrase of "thank you". He was used to being commanded, ordered, controlled, feared, even hated. But this boy…hardly older then a child, but not yet a man grown was talking to him as though he were a person.
"Expect no further mercy from me," The mutant tiger snarled angrily, but after a moment, his voice softened. "But…you are welcome." Donnie closed his eyes again seeming to fall into an uneasy rest before the Shredder came to torment him once again. Tigerclaw eyed the young ninja with almost wrapped curiosity.
When the Shredder had hired him he had promised that if he destroyed the Turtles and capture their master, he could help him find the one who had stolen his tail.
Back then he didn't question this task…it was just another hired job. When he and Karai had come upon them, the words exchanged between the red one and the blue one told him that one of their number and their companions had been dealt with. This hadn't bothered him, though, he had his quarry. If the fourth one was still alive he would be of little consequence, so long as his brothers and his master were eliminated. Even when he had faced all four turtles head on, he didn't see the bo wielder as any sort of challenge when compared to his brothers. His movements were too cautious, too calculated, which in turn advertised what strikes he would make. This genin mistake put him at a disadvantage as a fighter. But now that he thought of it, the Shredder's need to torment this boy in such manner didn't make any sense. The turtle held no significance, so what purpose did he hold? If the boy was to be punished for something he had long since receive it, but if the boy was to be executed, why not slay him and be done with it. This sort of torture was more suited to the Rat or maybe Leader of the turtles…not this underling. Tigerclaw's single eye widened as he came to a realization. The boy himself was not being punished but used as a means to punish someone else. His thoughts were further confirmed as the Shredder stormed into the room, and the screams began once more.
There was a firm knock on the door, but no one answered. Another louder knock resounded through the room before the door opened. The Shredder's form appeared in the door frame as he entered. The lights were out and the room was dark, his single eye glanced around the room expectantly, but there was nothing that indicated that anyone was there.
"Karai?" He called out
There wasn't an answer, only the deep violet curtains fluttering in the breeze coming from the open window illustrated the mode of the occupants departure. The Shredder rushed to the window as though hoping to see Kunoichi in mid-departure. But instead with the exception of a homeless man wandering down the street, there was no one. A low growl started in his throat as he rounded from the window and stormed out of the room. Karai was gone…that was the truth.
"Stockman!" He roared.
"Yea…yes Master *buzz* Shredder." The Mutant Fly simpered before letting out a pain filled intake of breath as the Shredder grabbed him by the neck.
"Where is…Karai?" The Shredder snarled.
"She….she should be in her room as you ordered!" Stockman said. "The mind control serum forces her to believe and follow everything you want her too."
"Then explain to me why she's gone!" Shredder roared as is hand tightened around the mutant fly's neck.
"Gone! That's impossible!" Stockman said. "The only way she would leave is if her body rejected the worm that was controlling her. But even if that was the case, she still would be under your control because of the second worm you added after Leonardo damaged the first one.
"No matter! I will find Karai once again…but now it's time Leonardo knew the true meaning of suffering." Shredder growled. "Get the worms!"
"Right away!" Stockman buzzed before he flew off.
"Steranko! Zeck!"
"Yes, Master Shredder!" Rocksteady saluted.
"Right here, Shred-man!" Bebop added.
"Bring Leonardo…"
"Raph…..Raph!" Green eyes blinked open as he found Leo kneeling over him. The blue-masked Turtle's eyes were dark with concern as he called his brother's name.
"Le…Leo?" Raph said elder brother name.
"Thank goodness." Leo gave a gasp of relief as he gave his immediate younger brother a watery smile.
"I owe Don a big apology for all the times I've teased him for being electrocuted," Raph said as he sat up with some help from Leo. "Man, that isn't fun when you've been zapped more times than you care to count."
Leo's smile faded as the worried look returned to his face at the thought of his other two brothers. Compared to Mikey, Raph looked relatively unharmed while Don was getting gods knew what done to him by the Shredder.
"That is if you can get the chance to apologize," Leo said with a worried tone in his voice. "With what had been done to Mikey…" This caught Raph's attention immediately as he sat up.
"So how bad was he?" Raph asked with a smoldering blaze in his eyes. "I heard the whole thing…was it as bad as it sounded."
"They only peeled away the skin his hands and one side of his face," Leo said. "I'm actually grateful that we are able to heal from our injuries as quickly as we do…but even something like that would take a lot of time and there is no telling how bad the scaring would be if any."
Raph's opened and closed the fingers of his hands angrily as though itching to wrap them around someone's neck, namely, a certain person named Karai. Splinters daughter or not, she had gone too far this time and she will pay for her actions. Even Leo would have to admit to that as much as he wanted to believe Karai was salvageable in the end all she was, was nothing more than damaged goods. Even if she did become free of the worm that had been implanted in her brain, he would never trust her as one of them, Hamato Miwa had died a long time ago as far as he was concerned.
"I heard you tell Mikey that Donnie was taken to the Shredder," Raph said.
"Yes…" Leo answered one hand clenching in frustration. "I want to believe he'll be alright…but."
"The odds aren't good." Raph completed the statement. "It doesn't make sense, what would the Shredder want with him? I mean yeah, you and me that would make some sense because we're the strongest fighters and the elder brothers…"
"That's it!" Leo gasped.
"What's it?" Raph inquired in confusion.
"What you just said about us being the strongest fighters and the elder brothers," Leo said. "It all makes sense, why Mikey was flayed and Donnie was beaten. When Karai was taunting Donnie she said 'I would face any sort of pain and call it noble, but in her opinion she would call it stupid.' Why are the two of us the strongest fighters? It's so we can protect our family and our younger brothers. Why was the audio feed between our cells connected the way it was? It was so you and I could hear what was happening to them, but be unable to do anything about it. Much like Mikey could hear me and Donnie could hear you in the same fashion. It's why…it's why nothing has happened to me…at least so far. "
Raph's face scowled in anger at the thought of this. Before he could voice his displeasure the door to the cell opened; Bebop and Rocksteady entered the room.
"The Shredder requires your presence." The mutant warthog said with a mock bow to Leonardo.
"Master Shredder has the something he is wanting to show you," Rocksteady grinned. Leo got to his feet, Raph also started to struggle upward.
"Nyet…you are not needed, Raphael. This show is for Leonardo, only." The Mutant Rhino said.
"If I go, Raph comes to," Leo demanded.
"That was not Master Shredder's requirement," Rocksteady said. "You are to come with us willingly or by the force."
"Leo…just go, you know what it might be." Raph sighed. "I'll…I'll be fine right here." Leonardo's eyes met Raph's before he hugged his brother tightly as though he were embracing him for the last time.
"Splinter's on his way," Leo whispered in his brother's ear slit. Raph lightly slapped Leo's shell a couple of times to let him know he heard the message loud and clear. Letting Raph go, Leo, turned and walked to where the mutant Rhino and Warthog stood waiting for him, the familiar pillow case was shoved over his head and he was escorted out of the room, the door shutting behind him.
Leo found himself being lead slightly more roughly than he had when he was being escorted to see Mikey and Raph. He found himself being lead upstairs, the flat concrete replacing itself with cold flagstone which meant he was being lead out of the lab.
He suddenly stiffened when he heard a familiar raspy cry of pain. A cry he would have recognized anywhere.
"Donnie!" He yelled out as he started to rush forward but he was being restrained by Rocksteady's strong arms.
"Relax, you'll see 'brain boy' soon enough." Bebop taunted. "Mrs. S is just showing him who is the head honcho around here if you get my drift." The screams grew louder and louder as they got closer until finally the bag was removed. Donnie was kneeling on the ground, his arms held aloft by two steel cables coming from the mouths of two mousers overhead. The purple-masked turtle's body slumped forward as his chest rose and fell, heavy breaths escaping his mouth, a string of drool dangled from mouth, while his mahogany colored eyes were blank and lifeless.
The Shredder pressed a button causing electricity to shoot down the cables causing Donatello to scream in pain once more.
"STOP IT!" Leo yelled to Shredder as he struggled to get out of Rocksteady's grip. "Stop it, please!" The masked man stopped the torment, amusement clearly present in his eyes. His thumb poised over the control button, the action taunting Leo with the knowledge that he held his brother's in his hands.
"Leo…?" Donnie asked as he slowly started to recover. Leonardo noted that Donnie's voice was somewhat croaky, possibly due to all the screaming he had been doing. His eyes were still unfocused as they stared blankly at his brother as if trying to comprehend the person who stood before him.
"Yeah, it's me," Leo said reassuringly, he wanted nothing more than to run over and gather his brainy brother into his arms and tell him everything would be alright. Donnie shook his head as though trying to clear away any the fog that his filled his oversized brain. His eyes becoming less blearily and much more like the gentle intellectual he normally was.
"Get out of here, Leo! " Donnie yelled out. "Get the others and run, forget about me!" The Shredder responded by backhanding the purple-masked turtle across the face.
"I didn't say you could speak." The Shredder growled angrily.
"Leave him alone, Shredder!" Leo growled as he struggled once more to get out of Rocksteady's grip. If Raph had come with him, his brutish immediate younger brother would be seeing red right about now. "Can't you see he's had enough?! If you need to hurt someone, then hurt me…leave Donnie and the rest of my brothers out of this."
"Oh, but I have been hurting you…" Shredder said angrily. "Through your brothers!" Stockman appeared at the Shredders side with the jar of brain worms and a pair of tongs. Reaching the tongs into the jar, the mutant fly pulled out a particularly big, fat, and ugly worm.
"No!" Leo yelled in horror as he realized what the Shredder intended to do. "Don't do this! Not to him!" The Shredder nodded to Stockmen who placed the evil grub on Donnie's forehead. Donnie's brown eyes crossed in fright as they zeroed in on the insect which squirmed its way to his left ear slit and began to burrow itself into the cavity.
The pain was excruciating; it felt like someone was hammering a drill bit through his ear canal. His head pounded with the worst headache ever as he felt his mind being invaded. In his mind's eye, he could see his memories…all seventeen years he had been alive. Many of his most precious memories fading away from existence, such as himself at age three sitting in Splinter's lap alongside Leo as his Splinter read to them from Musashi's Book of the Five Rings. Earning Raph's appreciation after he built the Shellraiser, Mikey from back when they had been fourteen years old informing him that he had been able to get through his ninja trial thanks to that lecture on keypad locks he had given him weeks ago.
Less pleasant memories were twisted to make them feel like hardships. Mikey finding the smoke bomb eggs Donnie had created and gleefully smashing them in his exuberance, became Mikey smashing them out of spite. The argument Leo had with Donnie about the Turtle Mech, twisted to Leo telling him he didn't want to use it simply because he invented it.
Raph returning from a hike after Leo had finally come out of his coma. "What were you trying to do, poison him?" Raph's voice yelled as he glared dagger's at Donnie after catching sight of him. Instead of stares and glances of confused concern instead, Leo, April, Mikey, and Casey all glare at him accusatorially. "Haven't you done enough damage already, Genius?" Casey snarls vehemently.
"Donnie, how could you?!" April screams at him, her eyes full of hate. "You couldn't even save my father from being mutated…again!"
And the worst memories of all were brought forward in all their painful glory. The nightmarish hallucinations brought on by that mutant mushroom. Visions of a demonic April calling him horrible things such as a three-fingered freak, April looking at him dead in the eyes and telling him she never wanted to see any of them ever again. Leo's half dead body being thrown through the window of April's apartment. Splinter being lost as he was thrown into a swirling vortex of water and sewage.
Donnie was only vaguely aware of the steel cable holding his wrists overhead had been removed. A knife slid into place before him. Slowly Donnie reached out for the small weapon, looking up he noticed Leonardo had been given a blade to a sword.
Memories of Leo pressuring him, telling him he wasn't doing things fast enough or brushing aside his efforts as though they didn't matter haunted him. Even now his so called older brother was probably crowing to himself about having the better weapon.
On the contrary, Leo was eyeing the knife Donnie had been given with concern. Typically this weapon arrangement was used when committing seppuku. A knife to open the abdomen, while a designated person with a sword decapitates the person committing the ritualized suicide. But the Shredder wouldn't allow them to end their lives with such honor. But in a fight against something like a sword, Donnie may as well have been given a tooth pick for all the defense it would give him, unless… Leo could feel his heart fall to the level of his knees as he realized a horrible truth. The Shredder wasn't expecting Donnie to survive, but to die at his own brother's hand.
