A/N: I hope I'm still keeping everyone on their toes. There's still more story to be written, not done yet. Your feedback is always welcome. Reviews helps feed the hungry little plot bunny. Feed the bunny! Make it grow big and strong! Okay, I'm done with my silliness. Knocked out with a lung infection and suffering from major cabin fever. Needless to say I've gone a bit stir crazy. Anyway...on with the story.
Disclaimer: see chapter one
Hun cautiously knocked on the bedroom door, waiting for an answer. When he heard the timid voice on the other side bid him entry, Hun opened the door and stepped inside the room, flicking on the lights. As always, Saki was huddled underneath his sheets. Hun walked over to the bed. It pained him to see his master in such a state. Saki hadn't always been timid and paranoid. Hun inwardly sighed. He wanted the old Saki back.
"Yes, Hun?" Saki asked, peeking out over the sheets.
"I just came to see how you were doing, master," Hun replied. "I haven't had a chance to come up."
"You have matters to attend to with the Foot. I understand," Saki told him.
"Which brings me to why I'm here," Hun said.
Saki frowned. "Oh? Why is that?" he asked.
"Sir, when do you think you'll be back?" Hun wanted to know.
"Why? Is Saito not doing well?"
"Saito's well. It's just that...he's going a bit overboard," Hun explained. "He's turned the Foot into a criminal empire."
Saki's eyes widened in horror. "Wh-what?" he stammered. "Criminal? But, that is not why I started the Foot clan."
"I know, master. But, no one will listen to me. Saito has everyone wrapped around his finger," Hun said. "Which is why I was hoping you'd be back soon. The Foot needs its true leader."
Saki looked away. "I...I am sorry. But, I...I just cannot face them. Not the way I am, now. The Foot needs a strong leader. A capable leader."
"But, Saito is destroying what good reputation the Foot has," Hun reminded him. "The Foot used to be the leader in medical and military research. Our super soldier serum was our biggest breakthrough."
"Soldiers that could recover quickly, adapt to any circumstance," Saki added.
"Saito is turning that serum into a drug that makes people lose their minds. He's going to use it to create an army of mindless soldiers that will follow him and him alone," Hun explained.
"Has he perfected it?" Saki asked.
Hun shook his head. "Thankfully, no. He has yet to test it."
"Then, you still have time to stop him," Saki said.
"Master, I can't do it without you," Hun replied.
"You are going to have to," Saki told him. "I am in no state of mind to lead, let alone fight. You have done well without me this long. You can do so, again."
Hun sighed in resignation, shoulders drooping. He turned and headed for the door. He knew it had been a fruitless endeavour to convince Saki to return to the Foot. However, he was just too far gone to help. Hun walked out of the room and closed the door. He leaned up against the door and sighed.
Seems like I'm going to have to take out Saito myself, Hun thought.
Saito watched as his scientists worked. All their time and effort was spent perfecting the super soldier serum. He would have his ultimate army, and then he would destroy the Turtles once and for all. But, with Raphael still in the picture, the mutants were still a fighting force. Saito clenched his fists. He would need to devise a way to knock out the red masked leader.
As he continued to watch, Saito felt the gears turning inside his mind. He walked over and picked up a vial of serum. The silvery liquid swirled around the tube, disturbed by the sudden movement.
"What are the effects of the serum?" Saito asked.
"Increased strength and speed and enhanced senses," a woman explained.
"What about the mental state?" Saito questioned.
The woman looked up from her work. "The person will be under the control of whomever injects them with it," she replied.
"Will they be aware of what they're doing?" Saito asked.
"Yes," the woman answered. "Fully aware. But, if given a direct order, they will have no choice but to carry out the order."
Saito grinned darkly as he gazed at the silvery liquid. "Excellent," he whispered. "Thank you." He wrapped his fingers around the vial. "You've just given me a brilliant idea."
Leonardo tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. However, sleep eluded him. Too many things ran through his mind. Too many voices.
"There used to be six."
Raphael's words still echoed through his memory. Six. There had been six of them. He had lost two brothers twice over. He had no recollection of Titian or Andrea, he couldn't even remember the first fight with Shredder. But, then, he did have a building dropped on his head. He was lucky he hadn't died along with the other two. He didn't know which hurt more, the loss of Titian and Andrea, or the fact that Splinter had wanted to put him down like a diseased dog.
But, now he understood the reason behind Raphael's brutality. In his own, twisted way, he was trying to get Leonardo to grow stronger, to prove his worth to Splinter. However, Leonardo had done nothing to make up for his brother spending two weeks in solitary confinement. He had done nothing to repay Raphael for taking the blade that had been meant to end his life. Leonardo curled into a ball, pulling the sheets up over his head. He suddenly felt responsible for making his eldest brother the tyrant that he had turned into.
It's not your fault, Leo, he told himself. It was Splinter's poison that turned Raph.
He sighed sadly. If only he had died instead of Titian and Andrea. He would have saved his family a lot of heartache. Sighing again, Leonardo finally gave up on sleep and pushed back the blankets. Negative thinking never helped anything. He knew he couldn't change the outcome of that fight. What happened, happened. It was in the past. Titian and Andrea may be dead, but he was still alive. He could do something to avenge his brother's deaths, but not in the way Splinter had taught his remaining siblings. He could help in the search, but do it his way. He wasn't going to resort to senseless violence to get information.
Leonardo swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He went to the door and opened it, just in time to hear Michelangelo cheering. Leonardo sighed, body deflating.
Sounds like they have another one, he thought.
His eyes widened slightly. This was his chance. His chance to show his brothers that they could glean information without using violence. Leonardo hurried down the stairs and down the hall towards the interrogation room. Raphael and Donatello were just closing the door when he arrived.
"Are you done already?" he asked in confusion.
"Nah. We just dumped him in the chair, tied him up and came on again," Raphael replied. "We'll let him stew for a bit before we take a crack at him."
"Mind if I have a go?" Leonardo asked.
Raphael and Donatello stared at him. "Come again?" Donatello asked.
"I'd like to interrogate him," Leonardo clarified. "But, alone."
"I don't think..." Raphael started.
"Please, Raph? I can get info out of him, I swear," Leonardo promised.
The older brothers looked at each other before turning back to their baby brother. Raphael clenched his jaw. What would it hurt? Maybe Leonardo could find something out they couldn't.
"Fine," Raphael said. "You take a crack at him."
Leonardo stared at his brother. "Seriously?"
Raphael nodded. "Yeah. Seriously. Have at."
Leonardo smiled and threw his arms around Raphael's chest, making the older turtle tense under the embrace.
"Thank you, Raph. I won't disappoint," Leonardo said, pulling away.
He hurried past his brothers and opened the door, entering the dark room beyond. Donatello shook his head as the door closed again.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.
"No. But, what choice do we have?" Raphael asked back. "And who knows? Maybe Leo will finally crack the case."
"But, he doesn't have interrogation skills," Donatello pointed out as they made their way down the hallway.
Raphael shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But, we've exhausted all our other efforts. Maybe Leo will have a special way of getting the guy to talk."
"I still have my doubts," Donatello stated.
"We'll never know until we try, Donnie. Leo's got a way about him," Raphael said.
"I'll agree with you on that," Donatello replied.
Raphael chuckled. "Anyway, I'm headed topside. Gonna visit Ti and Andy for a bit. I'll be back later to check on things."
"Be safe," Donatello called after his brother.
Raphael headed out of the lair and made his way topside. He hit the rooftops and broke into a run, heading for the park where his brothers were buried. Off in the distance, a group of black clad figures watched like birds of prey as the turtle jumped from rooftop to rooftop. One of the figures took out a hand held radio.
"We have him, Master Shredder," the man said. "He's heading for the burial place."
"Bring him to me," Saito commanded. "We'll finish the Turtles off, yet. And, we'll use their own leader to do it."
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