Chapter 2

The world outside the glass windows of the van had long ago gone dark. No longer was there even a building in sight, just a long stretch of wide road. A few cars passed them on the highway forcing him to duck from the beams of the headlights shining through the window to avoid being seen. Even then, the amount of cars dwindled to nothing. The hard tarmac of the highway soon turned to a gravel road as they turned off into what he could only assume to be the middle of nowhere.

Leonardo frowned in thought as he sank down to a near lotus position. He kept his breathing calm, pushed back the lingering feeling of bile in the back of his throat. The sickening feeling of whatever drug they had used had nearly faded away. His fingers twitched behind him, wrists twisting within the ropes that still held him tightly bound. His concern for his current predicament and gut wrenching need to know what had happened to Raph after he blacked out only growing with each passing mile. The sound of his heart beating in his chest his only companion, he focused on keeping himself calm. There was nothing he could do as of yet but wait.

The journey continued on, time passing without meaning. The darkness remained giving no clue as to how long it had been since they had left the city. The stop was abrupt, jarring him forward, his forehead lightly bouncing off the back doors of the van. Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet, flexing his fingers behind him in readiness. A breath blew past his lips in a slow exhale. If he was to find Raphael, he needed to stay collected and calm enough to escape.

All plans went out the proverbial window as soon as the back doors to the van swung open, four flashlights instantly shining into the dark interior, blinding him with their intensity. Slamming his eyes shut, he back up a few steps, listening. "So much for darting out…" he mumbled under his breath. A metal tink sounded off the floor of the van as an object bounced and rolled across the metal surface beneath his feet. Eyes flashing open momentarily, Leo made a leap towards the doors as a loud hissing sounded beneath him, quickly surrounding him in a thick smoke, choking him, squeezing out all the clear oxygen from his lungs. He landed on the ground outside the van, coughing and shaking his head back and forth, willing clean air into his lungs, willing his eyes to stop watering as he felt a tingling through his limbs.

Hands jerked him upward to his feet as he hacked out the last cough that wracked his frame. Inhaling the clean air, he pried his eyes open, only one flashlight pointing at him now. Squinting in the brightness, Leo felt his limbs go numb as he barely had the strength to put one foot in front of another as they started to drag him forwards.

Eyes narrowed, Leo watched each of the members of the Foot surrounding him, shoving him along, having difficulty just keeping his feet moving of his own power. There was roughly two dozen Foot soldiers, half a dozen Foot Techs, and finally the Foot Elite Guard. There was no visible option for escape as the many ninja seemed to form a constant circle around him as they walked, leaving no opening for him to see. What he could see above their heads didn't give him much hope either. They seemed to be in a clearing of a forest. If only they were closer to the trees, he could attempt a leap upward to the safety of the branches.

The walk continued for another few feet, each ninja silent and stiff. Stopping in what must have been the center of the clearing, the group waited quietly. Even the creatures of the night seemed to wait in silence for what was to unfold before them.

"Were you successful?" a dark voice asked.

The ninja parted slightly to allow the Foot Elite to the front of the group. "Only if you have held up your end of the bargain," one Elite ninja spoke lowly.

"Oh, but of course. I am a man of my word after all," was the answering reply, cold enough to send shivers down Leonardo's spine. He had no doubt of the identity of the man the Foot had come to meet. His only question was why they would help the man.

"You first then," the Elite grunted.

"So distrustful I see. Very well." A clapping of hands sounded and a feminine grunt sounded through the silent night. "Mostly unharmed and whole unfortunately."

The Foot soldiers parted at some invisible signal, others pushing Leo further forward, his eyes landing first on the woman lying on the ground before them. She was bound as he was, her slim arms behind her as she lay sprawled upon the ground. The long shin length dress was torn, ripped down her right side, the spaghetti strap over her left shoulder falling down her arm. Black shoulder length hair covered her face in ragged tatters. Hidden as her face was, Leo could not mistake the form of Karai before them. Bruises littered her skin, blood ran down her right leg. Enemies as they were, Leonardo couldn't help but wonder how she had fallen into trouble, how much harm she had been put through.

"So you were successful…" the voice drawled, drawing Leo's attention, the dark glasses present across his face even in the darkness of the night that surrounded them. His trench coat flapped lazily in the slight breeze of the clearing.

"Bishop," Leo hissed under his breath.

The man walked right up to the turtle in blue, smirking in his confidence with the current situation. "A simple trade Leonardo. For you see, I managed to capture the young ninja "Mistress" as her ninja meddled in one of my operations." The word mistress left the man's lips coldly, mocking the woman behind him even as the Foot ninja shifted in agitation. "She was just a means to you my friend," he continued smoothly. "As much as I've had my fun with her," he glanced back at Karai, her eyes coming up to glare at the man between her parted hair. "It's time to move on. I have other plans, plans that include you." Bishop's smirk grew as he shifted his glasses. "The Foot was so easy to convince to help me in capturing you to save their little wench."

A young Foot ninja suddenly leapt forward, sword unsheathed, arching for Bishop's neck.

Bishop side stepped to the left, ducked under the arch of the blade, and shot his right leg out in a powerful kick as he came up once more. The ninja landed hard on the ground, quickly pulled back into the crowd of ninja. Bishop straightened his black coat, flicking off a piece of invisible lint. "So quick to action. You would do well to control your men," he said mockingly helpful to the Elite Guard. The leader of the Elite stiffed, eyes narrowed as he held his tongue, Bishop's self satisfied smirk growing just slightly.

"But enough of that. Time is wasting and we can have none of that now can we?" He turned his back, gesturing to his own men who advanced forward, reaching for him.

Leo backpedaled out of their reach only to land against the wall of ninja behind him, shoving him forward once again. Bishop's men grabbed his arms, dragged him forward, his feet tripping beneath him as the effects of the gas continued to weigh him down. His eyes caught Karai's gaze, a lingering hint of fear in her orbs before it vanished, her head turning away from him as she broke their gaze. Leo was quickly shuffled into another van, this one bigger than the last. He landed with a thud on the cold metal floor, two men with guns entering as the doors slammed shut behind them. He glared at them, willing his limbs to move, to allow him to push himself up without success.

"Welcome to the fun Leonardo," Bishop's voice called from the doors of the van. Seconds later, the van started moving forward.