Wow, it's been a while. I only managed to get inspired after watching Ice Age for some reason idk. I then proceeded to watch the movie on repeat so that I would keep my inspiration - and it worked! Still watching it even as I write this too. lol Such a good movie. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Slash paces back and forth in the street. His feet pound against the concrete and fills the silence. Only it doesn't help. He clenches his fists and has the overwhelming urge to punch the nearest wall. His heart beats double time. Where is she? It's been too long. She should have been here by now. So why? Why is she not by his side and talking his ear off, insisting that he is like an angel?

He growls deep in his throat. He pivots and slams his fist into the wall. His arm vibrates with the backlash, but it doesn't hurt half as much as his head right now. It burns with terrible questions and paralyzing visions of the future. "Liz…" He says under his breath. He lifts his gaze to the sky. "Where are you?" He reflexively touches his arm and starts as he feels only his own skin there. Oh, right. He gave it back to her. Why'd he do that? He should have known better. He should have known he would need it again. But this soon? He shouldn't have. And yet he does.

He quivers slightly as the rage, the uncertainty, and the strangling fear build up in him. She has to come. She has to. He repeats it like a mantra. Yet it does nothing to sooth his nerves. He feels it with terrifying certainty – she is gone.

"Gone already?" Newtralizer tilts his head slightly as he comes up from behind Slash.

Slash glares daggers at Newtralizer. "Gee, thanks for leaving us alone for so long."

Newtralizer shrugs. "Sorry. I guess I'm just not very patient." He turns to face Slash. "And besides," He crosses his arms. "She's gone now anyway. You didn't need any more time."

Slash makes slow, deliberate breaths. "No," He squeezes out. "She never came."

Newtralizer blinks. "Oh," He shakes his head. "See? What'd I tell you? Nothing more than a distraction. A distraction that played you for a fool."

Slash bares his teeth and his eyes catch fire. "I dare you. Say it again." He holds a fists inches from Newtralizer's face. "Say a single bad thing about her and see what happens."

Newtralizer snorts and leans away from the solid threat. "Then where is she?" He raises a brow. "Hm? Where is your angel?"

Slash falters. He grimaces unbidden. "I…" He averts his eyes. "I don't know." His shoulders slump and he bows his head. Where are you Liz?

Newtralizer frowns. "Then she could have not come. Right?" He tenses in preparation for a violent reaction. Slash is not logical by any means, but he is even less so when it comes to her. Ironically, she creates the true monster in him.

"No…no way." Slash shakes his head. "She promised. She said she'd be back tonight and every night after." Liz is not like them. She remains true to her word, even if it kills her. A chill races up his spine. No, no way in hell. He banishes the though with a sharp shake of his head.

Newtralizer nods thoughtfully. "Then perhaps…" He lets the idea fade in order to get the reaction he wants out of Slash.

"Perhaps what?" Slash practically jumps Newtralizer in his desperation.

Newtralizer takes a step back to match Slash's. "Alopex wasn't too fond of you. Maybe she finally decided to take matters into her own hand."

"No." Slash sneers despite his words. "She wouldn't dare hurt Liz."

Newtralizer shakes his head. "That's not what I said."

Slash narrows his eyes into thin slits.

"I said she took matters into her own hands. Meaning she has refused to let your girl come here anymore." He raises a brow and tilts his head slightly. "It wouldn't be too hard, wouldn't you say? The mutt is much more adept at fighting. Isn't that right?"

Slash quakes. It is all he can do to keep himself from going on another rampage. Please try to not hurt people. Liz's words from only two days before echo in his head. They ground him in his spiraling world. "No." He grinds it out. "If she was going to stop Liz then she would have those first days." He shakes his head. "She wouldn't have waited until now." But then…who?

Newtralizer sighs. "I'm sure nothing's wrong. So let's just go." He motions toward the darkness. "We're not gonna see her tonight. Might as well bust some heads."

Slash scowls and his lips twist down in disgust. "No," He plants himself firmly in place. "I won't. I can't go when I don't know where she is or if she's alright." He shakes his head for what feels like the millionth time. "You go. I'm staying." He sets his gaze on the horizon. Please…

Newtralizer stares in disbelief for a long moment. He searches Slash's face for some sign of deceit, but there is none. He scoffs. "I can't believe you." He stalks past Slash and knocks his shoulder against his. "Some brother." Even after everything, even after disposing of the distraction, it did no good. If anything it made Slash more consumed. Great. The only solution now is her complete and utter demise. Those fools better not fail him.

Slash thinks to yell after him, but it isn't worth it. It would just be a waste of breath that he might need later when Liz shows up. Because she is going to show up. She has to. He swallows hard and touches the place where her neckerchief once hung. He doesn't know what he'll do if she doesn't.

…

Her body is cold against whatever it is that lies beneath her. Every muscle in her body tingles faintly, a pulsing pain vibrating out from her core to every limb. A dull pounding plagues her head, a sensation she is sure will spiral into a throbbing migraine. But this…no…this isn't right. Images flash in her mind – ivs jammed into her arms, the crushing space of a glass case holding her prisoner, and the face of a monster staring her down all the while. No…no…NO!

She shoots up and her eyes snap open. She sucks in a sharp breath and chokes on air. Her mind races as her eyes dart all about her to catch onto one hint of familiarity. But there is nothing. All that surrounds her is a stab to her heart and psyche. Her throat tightens and her heart runs wild at the sights. She is not in the lair or with Slash in an alley. Machines line the walls and tower over her, each beep sending of spike of terror through her. Iron bars line the space before her eyes, locking her in, and worst of all just outside her confinement stands the monster of her nightmares.

Harold sits with his back turned. His ears prick at the sound of her sharp, erratic breathing and restless movements. He spins his chair around so that he comes face to face with her. A smile curls his lips, one that could almost be construed as tender, but a sentiment which she only sees as a harbinger of torment and torture. "Hello my darling." He folds his hands together. "You don't know how much I missed you."

Liz gasps and scrambles backward until she is pressed hard against the far wall. She whimpers, her lips trembling and her eyes wild with fear. Every muscle twitches in anticipation for any move he might make. He is not sane, not anymore. Cold and calculated, perhaps, but it will only ever make sense in his head. No love should ever be like this.

Harold frowns. "What's wrong, love?" He rises and ambles to the bars that divide them. He crouches, balancing carefully on the balls of his feet. "Didn't you miss me too?" His eyes shine with hurt, but it does nothing to temper the malicious twinkle lurking alongside it.

Liz freezes for a long moment. Then she shakes her head in stiff jerks. She can't bear to speak a word to him. Monsters only savage you worse if you pay them mind.

Harold clenches his hands around the bars of her cage. He breathes deeply in and out, each breath a struggle to keep his cool. "Honey, I have great news." He grins from ear to ear. He tries to be sincere and on some level he is – he wants this for her – but it reeks of falsehood too. "I found a way to reverse this," He waves a hand in her direction. "This thing that happened to you. You can be human again."

Liz's heart skips a beat. Her eyes bulge and for a moment hope flickers to life within her. Then cold hard reality snuffs the light out. She glares daggers at him and once more tenses with fear. "I don't believe you…" She says hoarsely.

Harold's eyes catch fire. "What?" He seizes the bars and presses his face hard against them as if he might try and squeeze through to get to her.

Liz shrieks and jumps despite how safe she is in this enclosure. She throws her arms around herself and hugs tight to soothe herself as much as protect herself.

Harold clears his throat and pushes away from the bars. He composes himself. "I'm not lying to you. I would never lie to you. I only want to help." He bites his lip as tears well in his eyes. "I just want things to go back to normal."

Liz stares long and hard at him. Her face twists in disgusted disbelief. "It can't be." Her voice trembles at first. Then a fire lights within her and her eyes burst with flames. "Things can never be the way they were before. Nothing will ever be normal again. Not between us."

Harold growls deep in his throat. "I don't want to hurt you. I won't hurt you." He shakes his head. "But I won't let you do this either." He shoves himself to his feet and turns hard his heel. He snatches a shot from atop of one of the machines and returns to the cage. "Now come. Here."

Liz flattens herself against the wall even more, if that is even possible. Her breathing elevates and every muscle in her body twitches with apprehension.

Harold quakes. "I said – Come! Here!" He slams a hand against the cold, metal floor.

From the cage next to Liz, Alopex stirs. The commotion breaches the fog of her mind and her ears flick slightly as she hears. Her eyes flutter open to reveal an unfamiliar and blurred scene. Gradually her vision clears and electric pain rockets through her. She gasps and curls inward.

"No!" Liz shrieks.

"Don't make me come in there." Harold's eyes burn. "You'll regret it."

Alopex jerks to attention and her eyes snap open at the sound of Liz in turmoil. She fights through the pain and pushes herself onto all fours. She swivels and sees Liz cowering in the corner of her cage. Wait, what, cage!? She snaps her head around and finds she too is in a cage, unfortunately one separate from Liz. And there – just beyond the bars – is a man. Her lips curl back in a snarl and a low growl vibrates in her throat. Her ear flatten against her skull. He is the source of Liz's discontent. Even if she couldn't hear or see Liz she would know. Insanity rolls off of the man in waves.

Harold perks at the sound of the growl and turns his head to see the wolf mutant up and glaring holes into him. "Oh," He smirks. "So you made it did you?" He chuckles. "The way that freak was talking you were as good as dead, or at least should have been." Sinister intrigue lights in his eyes.

Alopex's fur stands on end. His very stare violates her and her sense of safety. "I'm no pushover." She sneers. "I'm a born fighter. So trust me when I say if you dare do anything to her then I will kill you." She extends her claws and scrapes them against the floor.

Harold barks out a laugh. "You don't scare me mutt."

Alopex snarls. She leaps forward, ignoring the electric pain that streaks through her muscles and slams her face into the bars. She jams her mouth through the space between the bars and snaps her jaws as she claws furiously.

Harold starts and jumps back. He stares for a long moment in shock, then shakes his head to get rid of it. "Watch yourself." He regards her coldly. "Because anything you do to me, you'll regret." He waves the needle in warning.

Alopex withdraws. She eyes the serum warily. As crazy as he is she doesn't have the slightest of what that might contain or the effects it would have on her. So with a final glare his way she turns away and retreats to the corner that connects her and Liz's cages. "Liz," She waves her hand to try and get the girl's attention. "Liz!"

Liz screams. She jumps and swivels in Alopex's direction, fully expecting something just as terrifying as her father waiting for her. When she sees it is Alopex her eyes widen and she gasps. "A-Allie," A sound between a laugh and a sob bursts from her. She scrambles across the cage to her friend's side. "Oh my God Allie." She reaches through the bars and clutches onto Alopex's arm. "I-I don't know what to do. I-This-It…it can't be real. I can't be back here. I have to get out. But I-I don't know what to do." She breaks down into sobs.

Alopex's eyes widen in alarm. "Liz, Liz, calm down." She pats her friend's hand. "And what do you mean back? Have you been here before?" Her heart beats a little faster.

Liz shakes her head. "Just like here. And…and terrible. Glass…ivs…pain. So-o-o much pain." She drops her head against the bars. "And all because of daddy…"

Alopex jerks to attention at her last word. "What?" She cries incredulously. "You said dad?" She looks over at the man. "This monster is your father?" A growl bubbles in her throat.

Liz doesn't respond. She slips further and further into hysteria, only hanging on by a thread because of Alopex's presence.

Harold frowns. "Come now. It's not as bad as it seems. I do love her. She's my baby – the only one I have. She just doesn't understand. So I have to do this. I have to make her better again. Then she'll forgive me."

Alopex sneers. "Baby my ass. You did this to her, didn't you? You made her a mutant." Alopex's blood boils. "You monster."

Harold is seized with fury. His face contorts and he clenches his fists so tight his knuckles turn white. "I'll show you a monster!" He is within an inch of grabbing one of his tools and chucking it at her heart. He doesn't need her. As intriguing as she is, she is meaningless. Worthless.

Before he gets the chance a side door opens and Baxter enters, a metal contraption with many tiny bottles of mutagen secured tightly around his neck. Fishface is right behind him. "Easy, Harold." Baxter warns. "You may not want or need her, but Master Shredder surely will. He is most interested in the way these mutations work." Not to mention any mutant who he can get his hands on will bring him one step closer to finding a cure in case Shredder ever detonates this metal trap around his neck.

Fishface grins like a maniac. "And even if he wasn't, he'd love torturing this one until she begs for death." He has not forgotten the incident so long ago where she aided the turtles in freeing the blue one from Shredder's grip. Shredder has not either.

Alopex tenses at the very sight of the fish. His voice sends a shudder through her that she prays they don't notice. She is sure there is one more instance besides her break in he will never forget. She knows she hasn't. The day she saved Raph from him and his venomous fangs.

Harold breathes deeply in and out. He collects himself as best he can and instead of a weapon instead draws a key from his coat pocket. He unlocks Liz's cage and enters. "Now be a good girl." He creeps toward her, the needle prepared to plunge into her arm. "And come here."

Liz cowers. She presses herself hard into the corner, as if she might be able to phase through the wall if only she pushes hard enough.

Alopex bares her fangs and a deep growl erupts from her throat. Her eyes catch fire as she locks her gaze on the madman.

Harold ignores the wolf mutant. He has eyes only for Liz. He reaches for her arm, more than ready for this injection.

Liz screams. She flails her arms and legs to keep him at bay.

Harold endures the slashes on his face from her claws and the kicks to his gut. He seizes her arm despite her spasms and jerks her forward.

Alopex roars and lunges at him. She shoves her snout between the spaces of the bars and clamps her jaws around the man's forearm. She shakes her head, tearing his flesh in ribbons.

Harold screams bloody murder. He drops the syringe and it shatters against the floor. He tears furiously at Alopex's jaws, trying to pry them open. "Filthy mutt!" Blood splatters across the pristine floor, staining it red.

Liz's eyes bulge at the sight of so much red spilling across the floor. Her heart beats double time.

Baxter gasps and jumps in his skin. He rushes into the cage and takes ahold of Harold's waist. He pulls as hard as he can. He is nowhere near strong enough. He knows. "Fishface!"

Fishface races into the space of the cage. He maneuvers around the mass of bodies and limbs and focuses on the sea of white sticking between the bars. His lips twist into a grin, his fangs gleaming, and surges forward. He clamps his jaws around her extended paw, sinking his teeth in deep.

Alopex yelps. She releases Harold and jerks her head and legs back onto her side. She shrinks back against the wall, lifting her throbbing leg up to her maw. Fear sparks in her eyes as she surveys the bite marks littering her arm. She whines softly, licking at the wound to stifle the bleeding. Her heart pounds and her breathing elevates. She knows what comes next. No amount of tending will stop it.

"Shows you, you mutt!" Harold glowers at her. "Now you best stay back."

Baxter moves around Harold and takes a firm grip on Liz to keep her still.

Liz continues to scream. Her eyes snap to the side, toward Alopex. "Allie, Allie, are you ok?" Her friend is suddenly very subdued. That fire in her eyes and posture is all but gone. What happened? What's going on? "ALLIE!"

Harold draws another syringe from his coat pocket and plunges it into Liz's upper arm. "There." He smiles at her. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He withdraws the now empty syringe and moves away from her. "Soon you'll be back to normal – my little girl again." He directs the others out of the cage and locks the door behind them.

Liz sobs and hiccups as she grasps at the injection point. A pulsing pain issues from the center and the area around it is quickly turning red. Despite this her attention quickly turns to Alopex. She leans close to the bars and peers at her friend. "Allie," She says through her sobs. "Allie come on, talk to me."

Alopex hears Liz, but she sounds very far away. Her head spins and her vision blurs. Her mouth waters as a crippling sickness hits her. Is this how Raph felt before?

"Allie!" Liz reaches through the bars and gasps as pain shoots through her injected arm. She clutches it close to her chest and only uses the other. "Can you hear me? Huh?" She holds her breath.

Alopex tilts her head in Liz's direction, staring through half lidded eyes. Her breaths shudder in and out. "I'm just…tired."

"W-What? Tired? No, no, no, you can't be tired. Hey!" She shakes Alopex roughly by the arm.

Alopex smiles weakly. "Don't…cry." Alopex's eyes slip shut and she collapses in a heap. Liz screaming dimly registers in her darkening mind, but she can't get her body to move or even her eyes to reopen. Every muscle in her body is paralyzed.

"Allie no!" Liz hyperventilates. "No! Don't go to sleep! No! No! NO!" She slumps down flat on her stomach as her energy vanishes and hopelessness overtakes her. She clasps her hand around Alopex's. "Don't leave me…please don't leave me…" Her voice tampers off into wordless screams and sobs that threaten to choke her.

…

Raph races through the lair and to his eldest brother's room. He bangs on the door and throws it open. "Get up! Get up!" When he gets no coherent responses he barges into Leo's rooms and shakes him until he at least sits up.

"What the hell Raph?" Leo groans. He rubs at his eyes as he sits up. "It's the middle of the night. We don't have time for nonsense. We need all the energy we can get to fight later."

Raph growls in aggravation. "This isn't nonsense! It's about Liz! She's gone." His throat tightens at the very thought and his clenched fists tremble terribly.

Leo's eyes snap open and he jolts out of bed. "What? How? Why?"

Raph shakes his head. "She's an idiot." He sneers. "She says she 'had to see someone'."

Leo makes a face. "See someone? Who in the world does she know up there? It's not like her human friends would do anything but scream and her father, he…" He grimaces.

Raph grinds his teeth. "I don't know. But we've got to go after her. We can't let her hurt herself." He would never be able to forgive himself if she got hurt, especially since he had ample opportunity to stop her and just…didn't. Couldn't. She overpowered him, even if only for a moment.

Leo nods. "Go get Mikey. I'll wake Donnie." He rushes from the room without waiting for his brother's acknowledgement. There is no time to waste, especially if her last encounter with the surface is anything to go by. She has absolutely rotten luck. That's for sure.

Raph is right on Leo's heels. They wake their remaining brothers in a minute flat and soon they are all gathered in the living area. "What is it?" Mikey looks wide eyed at each of his siblings in turn. "What's going on?"

"Liz ran off." Leo says, glancing at Raph to make sure he isn't taking it too personally.

Donnie stiffens. His eyes bulge and his heart skips a beat. Shit. Then again, he should have known the day would come – when they found out.

"What?" Mikey gasps. "Why? Doesn't she know it's dangerous up there?"

Raph quakes slightly. He growls deep in his throat. "She's so stupid! I can't believe she wasn't dead long before we found her the way she throws herself into danger! Stupid girl."

"Raph," Leo snaps. He scowls at his brother. "Don't say such things."

"Why not?" Raph rounds on Leo. "You know it's true. Kept prisoner by her own freaking dad, nearly beaten to a pulp by some rhino and pig, and just-just-" He throws his hands in the air.

Donnie drops his gaze to the ground. He looks guiltily at the floor, a tight grimace stretching across his lips. He has to tell them. He can't let them search needlessly. Or worse, he can't have them run into the pair and discover it firsthand. No.

Leo sighs. "Come on guys, we have to go after her. Raph may be a little…emotional." He frowns and shoots a sharp look at Raph. "But he's right. We can't waste time." They turn on their heels, posed to sprint out into the night, when Donnie cuts them off.

"Wait."

The other three stop in their tracks. They peer over their shoulders, confusion etching into their expressions. "Wait!?" Raph cries. "For what? A flare? No! We're going – now."

Donnie lifts his gaze and looks hard at Raph. "I said. Wait."

The seriousness in Donnie's tone and demeanor catches them off guard and forces them to focus solely on him.

Donnie sighs. "Liz, she…she's fine."

"Huh?" Mikey makes a face.

"What?" Leo looks intently at his smartest brother.

"No way." Raph scoffs. "You can't know that. Unless you planted some kind of bug on her like a regular little creeper." Donnie is already awkward enough with April, he does not need to start with Liz too. Although knowing where the little sneak was wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially not now.

Donnie averts his eyes. "You could say that." He twists his fingers. "I suppose…"

Raph narrows his eyes. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?" His skin crawls with the unsettling possibilities. And that look in Donnie's eyes. It isn't a good one.

Donnie can't find the words to say. Doesn't want to. He just wants to go back to bed and pretend everything is the same as it was an hour before.

"Donnie," Raph breathes heavily in and out. "What did you do?"

Donnie burns with the sensation of all their stares locked on him. He practically shrinks beneath the scrutiny. "I…I know she's ok, because…" He swallows hard. "I asked Alopex to watch out for her."

Shock twists their expressions and everything from understanding to full blown rage overtakes them. "You…" Raph clenches his hands so tight the knuckles turn white. "You didn't. You idiot!"

"Raph!" Leo snaps. He grabs ahold of his brother's arm. Raph would never seriously harm any one of his brothers, but that won't stop him from going crazy and accidentally hurting them. "You have to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!?" He pulls with all his might against Leo's hold. "How can I calm down when that moron sent his deranged mutt to 'watch' Liz?" His breaths shudder in and out. "She would tear her apart in an instant! She could be dead!"

"But she isn't." Mikey steps in front of Raph. He looks hard at his older brother. "She has come back every night. Just the same as before…happier, actually." He isn't blind to the shift in Liz. Something was helping her. Now it seems the answer lied on the surface.

Raph ceases his struggling. He does not however stop glaring at Donnie over Mikey's shoulder. "How long?" He says through clenched teeth.

Donnie looks farther from Raph. "Weeks." His voice is tiny as he admits it.

Leo shakes his head. "Donnie, you shouldn't have."

Donnie snaps his head up to glare mercilessly at Leo. "Shouldn't have what?" The floodgates of frustration open. "Made sure she was safe? That she didn't die out there while you all were sleeping away the night and foolishly thinking she wouldn't go back out." He lets out an aggravated sigh. "I did what I had to. There was no stopping her." He looks to Raph. "Clearly." He notes the bruise blossoming on Raph's face.

Raph drops his gaze. It is a struggle to keep himself from instinctively touching the wound.

"Whatever is out there, she has deep feelings for it. Be it thing, person, or mutant. I knew it. So I did what I had to. And after Liz was saved by-" He clamps his mouth shut and picks up a different thread of thought. "After that first night. I knew Liz would be safe with her."

Leo bows his head. "You should have just told us."

"Yeah, bro." Mikey frowns.

Donnie sighs. "Sorry…I just…I didn't want this." He waves his hand, indicating the current situation.

Raph snorts. "Well I don't believe it." He shrugs Leo's now loose hold off of him. "I don't believe that mangy mutt is doing anything at all for Liz." He crosses his arms over his chest.

Donnie glowers. "Well you're wrong. She is and has been for weeks. And that's all there is to it."

"Prove it." Raph pins Donnie under his intense gaze.

Donnie blinks and frowns. "What?"

"You heard me. Prove it. Prove she is where she is supposed to be."

Donnie shakes his head. He blows out a breath. "Fine. Whatever." He plucks the t-phone from out of his belt and lifts it to his lips. He keeps his eyes trained on Raph all the while. "Alopex," He says into the device. "Where are you at?"

There is a long silence. No one breathes or even dares to blink. When the silence stretches into minutes Donnie repeats, "Alopex," Fear curls his stomach. "Are you there? Alopex. Alopex!"

Alopex hears the static from the t-phone in her scarf. Donnie's voice fizzles through and dimly registers in her mind. She opens and closes her mouth, but only wheezes escape. She drags her arm toward her scarf, but her fingers hook on the folds in it and she can't muster the strength to free them. She whines, her ears folding back. Every breath she draws grows shallower. She can feel her heartbeat weakening. It won't be long now. Then it'll all be over. Everything.

"See?" Raph slams his fist into the couch. "I told you! That lousy, stinking, good for nothing-"

"No…" Donnie trembles. Fear twists his expression and his eyes widen. "No, something's wrong!"

"Yeah," Raph sneers. "That stinking fox betrayed you is what's wrong."

"No!" Donnie screams. He seizes a stray epipen from his belt and chucks it against the wall. It shatters and the sound brings him a degree of clarity. He needs the control. "Not your delusional wrong! Something's bad wrong. Something's happened. Which means-" He catches his breath. "Liz is in trouble." His eyes grow wild with fear.

Raph stiffens. "What?"

Donnie's fingers fly across his t-phone. He brings up the tracker in Alopex's device. "There! In an old abandoned building halfway across town." He grips Raph's shoulders. "We have to get there. Now."

Raph knows Donnie's panic stems more from Alopex than Liz, but for once he doesn't care. Anything to get them there. "Right."

Donnie pivots and shoots into a run. "Move it!" He doesn't wait for Leo to assent to his command. There isn't time for that. They're in trouble. And if Alopex isn't answering, that means it must be the worst trouble imaginable.

…

Liz moans. She curls in on herself, clutching at her stomach. It twists itself in knots and sends intense waves of pain through her body. She coughs, choking on what she can only assume is bile. Tears well in her eyes and her lips tremble. It's terrible. Some of the worst pain ever. Maybe worse than her time spent in the container. At least than she has sedation. Now, nothing. Nothing but pain.

She gasps as a sharp spike of pain hits her. It isn't in her stomach this time though. It originates from the injection point and rockets up her arm. She yelps and clutches at the afflicted area, gnashing her lip to divert the pain. Through the spaces between her fingers she notices the once red skin is now aqua blue. Her eyes widen and she scrambles to her knees. Her heart beats faster, pounding in her ears. Blue skin…blue skin…blue.

"Relax, darling." Harold says from the other side of the cage. He smiles down at her. "It's perfectly natural for your skin to turn blue, with how different your body is from a human. Just wait a little while and you'll see. You'll be my little girl again."

Liz shudders at how naturally he refers to her something unhuman. It's like he raised her this way – a freak.

Liz gasps as electric pain strikes her. Her lip trembles and tiny sobs hiccup past her lips. Then a jolt of pain comes so hard and fast that it rips a scream from her throat. Her sobs choke her and tears roll down her cheeks. Just make it stop. Make it stop. She repeats it like a mantra, her mind clouding over with the pain. The only thought that breaches the fog and past her trembling lips is, "Raph…" As she reaches feebly out toward nothing, the last visages of hope slipping through her parted fingers. "Raph…"

So what did you think? Still no peace for poor Liz, and things definitely aren't looking good. For her or Alopex. Hopefully this update was worth the wait. I'll try to be more timely with coming updates, but no promises. Capstone crap for college and blarg. If only I had infinite free time. Don't we all wish that though. lol

Oh, also I debated heavily over whether to have Liz call out for Raph or Slash in the end and ultimately (obviously) went for Raph simply because of how big their last interaction was and how adamant Raph had been about her getting hurt if she went out. Since that did in fact happen he was the first thing that came to her mind because she was wrong and so badly wished he was there to save her like he insisted on doing before. Just so you know. Please review!