"So," The Shredder spoke as his robotic Foot Ninjas carried the unconscious Leo before their master in his throne room. "I gave you a simple order of capturing the turtles instead of destroying them as usual. And, instead, you bring me only one and allowed the others to escape. How pathetic."

His voice was low and menacing, causing the Foot Ninjas to bow their heads in disgrace.

"Wait, Father," Karai, who stood next to Shredder's throne, spoke up. "I know this turtle. This is Leonardo, the leader of those mutant turtles. Perhaps your plan can still work."

"How?" Shredder demanded. Karai answered by leaning closer to his ear and whispered her new proposal to him.

When she finished, Shredder thought for a moment. "Hmmm . . . Very well. I will allow it. But," Shredder turned to his daughter, his eyes crossed threateningly. "This has to work, Karai . . . for your sake. I cannot let this plan fail."

Karai paused before she nodded in understanding. The Foot Ninjas, sensing that they were off the hook, bowed their heads to their master in gratitude.

Just then, a groan came out from the blue-masked turtle. All eyes turned to him.

The Shredder stood up. "It appears that our 'guest' is waking up. We should greet him properly." Shredder suggested to his smirking daughter before they both walked down the stairs toward their captive.

Leo's eyes slowly fluttered open. Then they popped wider when he realized what had happened and where he was; panic shook his heartbeat. He quickly jumped to his feet, but he instantly felt his arms held by the Foot Ninjas. Leo struggled to escape, but the ninjas were too strong and too many.

Leo's body froze when he saw who was standing right in front of him.

The Shredder.

"Welcome to my humble throne room, turtle," Shredder said to Leo, with a hint of sarcasm. "I have wanted to meet you face to face without falling into unnecessary violence."

Leo placed his brave mask on his face, but the fear inside him was crawling over his veins. His eyes glanced at Karai, who was standing beside the Shredder, smirking at Leo as if she beat him on a game.

"Why am I here?" Leo demanded, returning his eyes to Shredder. "Where are my brothers?"

The Shredder chuckled a little. "Oh, you don't need to worry about them. They're not here, because my Foot Ninjas," he turned his harsh eyes on his faithful ninjas. "Were too slow to stop them."

Again, the Foot Ninjas bowed in shame.

However, Leo could feel a surge of pride for his brothers, and complete relief that they were able to get away. No doubt, however, that they will come here and rescue him, which didn't help Leo.

"But don't worry, turtle." Shredder turned back to Leo. "You will be reunited with them . . . once I'm through with you."

Fear escalated inside Leo, and he attempted to keep it hidden. He glanced at Karai again, but she just continued to smirk at him, as if knowing something delicious that Leo doesn't know.

"I'll never tell you anything," Leo shouted at Shredder, pushing courage into his voice. "I'll never tell you where Master Splinter is!"

To Leo's surprise, the Shredder only chuckled, this time louder. "Oh, I know you won't talk. I have other plans for you."

"What are you talking about?" Leo questioned.

Shredder said nothing, his dark eyes studying Leo. Then, he turned around and stepped in front of the stairs. "All in good time, turtle. Soon, I shall finally have my revenge on Hamato Yoshi, and all of his pathetic, mutant turtles will fall before me."

Fury absorbed Leo. He began struggling harder, wanting nothing more than to punch Shredder. "Don't you dare hurt my brothers or my sensei, Shredder, or, so help me, I will chop you into pieces!"

"With what," Shredder casually asked him, turning his head to glance at Leo. "You have left your weapons behind."

Leo's eyes scanned around to find that Shredder was right. No one was holding his katanas, which meant that they were lost.

But the Shredder wasn't done speaking. "But, perhaps, you can save me the time and tell me where that worthless sewer rat of yours is located."

Rage over the insult of Master Splinter filled Leo's mind and body. He pushed slightly forward and glared hard at Shredder. "Never!" he yelled.

The Shredder just shook his head in pity. "It's a shame. You have the spirit and loyalty of a ninja warrior. Yet, you devote yourself to my most hated enemy." He turned around to face the blue-masked turtle. "If you had been my student, instead of that rat's, you would have been a far superior warrior, and a worthy opponent to all others. Including Hamato himself."

"Liar," Leo suddenly shouted, anger finally taking control of him. "If I was your student, I would have been your puppet and a heartless murderer! No matter how many times you lie!" He directed the last sentence to Karai, who frowned and turned away, remembering their last encounter. "I am proud to be Hamato Yoshi's student! He is a better master than you could be! And he is more a man than you'll ever be!"

All of a sudden, overflowed by anger over the offense, the Shredder screamed in pure rage. He pulled back his now visible blades on his arm and slashed across Leo's face.

Leo cried in pain. Karai gasped in shock.

Leo dropped to his knees, his head almost touching the floor. His blue mask slipped off of his face and dropped to the ground before him.

Shredder retracted his blades and placed his hand on Leo's head, unsympathetically pulling it back to reveal the turtle's now bare face, and his handiwork on it.

Across Leo's face, from his upper left side down to his bottom right side, were two fresh cuts that were as red as tomatoes. The cuts missed his left eye (but just barely), leaving the eye in-between the two slashes.

Leo felt a sharp prickling on his face, as well as something liquid slipping down to his chin and neck. Leo hoped beyond hope that the liquid were his tears, but nothing left his eyes.

Fear was now becoming harder for Leo to control, as he was forced to look upon Shredder's cold, narrowed eyes again.

Yet Leo made an attempt to keep his brave mask on anyway.

"At least I am a man," Shredder said in a dangerous voice, dripping with a noticeable fire of rage.

Leo couldn't help but retorted, "No . . . you're a monster."

Shredder glared viciously at Leo, tightening his grip on Leo's head. This caused Leo to squeeze his eyes and teeth in pain from Shredder's strong clutch. Leo couldn't help stop a tiny whimper from escaping his throat.

At last, Shredder harshly pushed Leo's head back and turned fully to Karai. "Take him to the Gomon Room. Do what must be done."

Karai looked shocked, as if not expecting this order from Shredder. But, after a brief hesitation, her appearance turned to firm compliance and she nodded to her father.

Taking one last, hateful look at the mutant turtle at his feet, Shredder silently returned up the stairs to his throne.

"Follow me," Karai gave the order to the Foot Ninjas.

She began walking toward the door, the Foot Ninjas dutifully right behind her. They dragged the mask-less Leo with them, forcing him to leave behind his chopped mask.

His identity.

While his eyes stared at his lost mask shrinking away from him with every second, his mind repeated the two words from Shredder's voice.

"Gomon Room."

He knew that the word, 'Gomon,' was a Japanese word, but the pain on his face was distracting him from figuring out the translation. But he could pretty much guess that it meant bad news for him.

Well, at least his brothers were safe and far away from here.

"We're coming for you, Leo," Mikey shouted into the night sky.

The three turtles were currently running and jumping over rooftops, heading straight for the far away abandoned church. Aka, Shredder's lair.

They had returned to the rooftop where they last saw Leo, only to see an empty roof with two abandoned katanas. Hiding the swords inside the sewers, the three instantly set off on a mission to rescue their brother.

"I still think we should go back and tell Master Splinter," Donnie said, pausing by a billboard.

"He'll probably just tell us to go after him anyway," Raph replied, stopping on a taller building to turn and look down at Donnie. "And we can't wait any longer while Shredder has Leo. Come on!"

Raph continued off, with Mikey following alongside him.

Donnie stayed behind for a brief moment, feeling guilty. It wasn't just over leaving their sensei in the dark; it was something else that had bothered him since Leo's capture.

But he felt that Raph was right (of course, Donnie wasn't saying that aloud). They needed to find Leo before something terrible happens to him.

The sooner they rescue Leo, the sooner they can all get back home in one peace.

With that in mind, Donnie jumped up to another roof and ran to catch up with Raph and Mikey.

Just then, all three turtles halted, seeing an unwanted, dangerous sight.

Up high on a rooftop of a taller building, was Razahr, his skinny figure illuminated by the full moon right behind him.

He jumped off and landed with a thump before the three turtles, growling at them. Raph, Donnie, and Mikey immediately pulled their weapons out, glaring at their enemy.

"Come for another brawl, turtles?" Razahr snarled at them.

"You know," said Raph, irritated. "This really isn't a great time for this!"

"Which is precisely why this is a great time," a sly voice spoke from the other side of the rooftop. The turtles turn to see Fishface appear from the shadows.

Fishface smirked under his fish-like lips. "For us."

A small army of Foot Ninjas suddenly appeared from different shadows and encircled the three turtles, their weapons popping out from their robotic bodies.

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey stood shell to shell, staring at their enemies surrounding them.

"Well, this just made our night better," Donnie commented ironically.

"What do we do," Mikey asked his older brothers, turning to them for guidance.

"We can't get to Leo with these goons in the way," Donnie informed the two behind him.

"Then we do what we always do," Raph answered, spinning his sais. "We kick butt!"

With a roar, Raph charged after the Foot Ninjas and the two other mutant foes. Seeing no other choice, Donnie and Mikey rushed toward their opponents, the three of them attacking as many as they could.

All the while hoping to finish in time to save Leo.

It was before he was brought into the Gomon Roon that Leo had finally discovered what 'gomon' meant.

Torture.

The room wasn't too small; almost larger than his or his brothers' bedrooms. It was darker and colder inside, except for one light shining from the ceiling, directed at a square, iron table at the center of the room.

There were chains hanging up on opposite sides of the room. There was a small furnace sitting up against the wall opposite to the door; its fire hidden underneath a shovel full of scorching coals. Leaning ominously against the furnace were branding irons. Whips hung over the small furnace. A small, wheeled table sat close to the furnace, covered with knifes, clips, a miniature, dark box, flasks, a white cloth, and a syringe. Sitting on the left side of the furnace was a machine that looked like something found from Donnie's lab.

"Put him on the table," Karai commanded the Foot Ninjas still holding Leo. "And make sure he's strapped tight."

The Foot Ninjas did as they were told, dragging Leo onto the table. Leo instantly felt the cold surface upon his skin, his goose bumps shivering against his green hide. His arms and legs were taken by each ninjas and strapped tightly to the table, preventing him from escape.

Once Leo was secured, Karai took the cloth from the wheeled table. "Clean his face."

She threw the cloth to one of the Foot Ninjas, who caught it. The robot used it to wipe Leo's entire naked face. When finished, the ninja took a step back.

Leo eyes quickly glanced at the cloth before the ninja disappeared from his viewpoint. The white, clean cloth had turned red.

Before he could let that sink in, his attention switched to Karai, who was pulling the strange machine up to the table, her face strangely very blank.

"Put the wires on his skin," Karai gave another order, and the Foot Ninjas again obeyed her. They each took a wire attached from the machine and clipped them all over Leo's entire body.

"What, you're giving me a massage," Leo asked sarcastically, trying to make the situation light, despite not understanding what they were doing to him.

Keeping her face emotionless, Karai hesitantly said, "No. This will be much, much worse."

Leo's wrists and ankles struggled to be free, but the straps refused them. "What are you doing, Karai? You can't be seriously thinking about torturing me, right?"

Karai didn't say a word, walking back to the wheeled table to inspect the inside of the small box.

The Foot Ninjas finished their work over placing all the wires onto Leo and they all stepped backward, waiting for further orders.

However, Leo's eyes were on Karai, not believing that she would sink this low. Karai could do many things, but torture?

No! Leo refused to believe it.

"Karai," Leo spoke to her when she did not turn around. "Don't do this. I know you're not that kind of person."

Karai was silent for a long time. When she spoke, her voice was firm. "You don't know anything about me, Leonardo."

"But you don't torture people, Karai! Ok, you'd punch and kick me from time to time, but never like this! Is this still about getting revenge on Splinter? Are you actually willing to go down that path just from what Shredder said to you? I thought you were an honorable ninja, not a heartless monster like Shredder! You're so much better than this! Show me, Karai, that you're not like that!"

Karai was deep in thought, her hands clenching the wheeled table as his words slowly sank into her tormented mind. Leo could only watch her, hope slowly blossoming in his heart.

Finally, Karai sighed in defeat, making her decision. She turned her head to one of the Foot Ninjas and nodded.

The Foot Ninja went over to the machine and flipped the switch.

All of a sudden, Leo screamed.

Unbelievable pain shot through his entire body. Electrical lights zipped through the wires from the machine and stabbed into Leo's skin. His body shook like mad. It felt like millions of electric, flaming daggers attacking him mercilessly. It burned both the inside and outside of the turtle. Faint smoke slowly rose from the green skin.

Leo never thought such a pain like this could exist.

The ninjas and their mistress kept the machine on for a moment, all the while Karai kept her back to the screaming turtle.

At long last, Karai raised her hand up, and the Foot Ninja flipped down the switch, turning the machine off.

Finally free from the electric torture, Leo breathing deeply, still feeling the pain over his skin and underneath him. His heart raced like fire and his nose could only smell cooked turtle. His body started twitching a little. Smoke continued to fly away from his skin.

Leo's eyes struggled to open and, when they did, they moved to Karai. His voice was weak and shaky. "You're . . . you're just like Shredder!"

Karai remained unmoving, but inside, she felt hatred over what he said. Of course she didn't want to do this; it was beneath her. But, she had to find a way to avenge her mother's death and destroy Splinter once and for all. She had to follow through with her father's plan.

And, if it meant torturing Leo to make it happen . . . Then so be it.

She gave another nod to the Foot Ninja, and the Foot Ninja turned on the machine again.

Leo screamed instantly, falling back into the machine's torment for a long time.