Saving a life is hard. Saving a few people is even harder! But saving everyone is much easier.
Well, depending on how you look at it. ;)
They made it to Karai's location in an hours' time. They appeared out of the shadows silently, approaching her cautiously. Predictably Leo was the first to reach her. His almost unbearable need to run up and hug her, to make sure she was all right, caused his limbs to shake.
But if Leo was nothing else, he was in control. He carefully reached a hand out for her and touched her face. She smiled mischievously back at him bringing her hand up to help press his palm into her cheek.
Leo sighed in relief and kneeled to her level since she was still sitting on the floor. "Karai, your back, you're really back! Do you remember everything? Ar-are you still a snake?" questioned Leo examining her once terrifying snake hand.
Karai laughed joyously despite the situation. She pulled away from Leo and looked behind him.
At Raph standing farthest away, still partially hidden in the shadows of the tunnel.
At Mikey peeking around a robe of red with a huge grin on his face.
And at that robe of red, and the man wearing it, her father. They came for her, they found her.
And they lost a son doing so.
Karai pushed away Leo's hand as he tried to help her to her feet. She rose shakily and sped walked to Master Splinter wrapping her arms around his waist.
She could feel Raph tense up at the contact. No doubt ready for her to have a knife in hand ready to stab his Dad.
But he had nothing to fear, not from her, not anymore. And in time she would prove that to him.
"Father," Karai began looking up at the taller rat, "they took him, they took Donatello and I'm sorry. I remember everything. And I'm sorry."
Splinter hugged his daughter back. "Do not despair my child, any of you," said Splinter addressing all of his children as they gathered around him. "We will get your brother back."
With that Splinter turned and helped Karai drag her feet out of this horrible part of New York's sewers.
Raph immediately followed, now keeping unusually close to Karai.
Leo followed soon after, head hung low as he walked forward.
Mikey stayed for a moment. Picking up two shiny out place objects from the floor. One looked like a flattened glass oval with a needle sticking out of it, and the other was a small vile labeled in Donnie's neat handwriting, 'K-Venom.'
'Oh Donnie,' thought Mikey as he followed his leader into the tunnel, 'I wonder if this time when she bit you your head turned into a pineapple again. No probably not, it probably turned into a plum, because you can be so dumb.'
Mikey didn't think anyone would appreciate his joke, so he didn't say anything.
He didn't appreciate it much himself anyways.
The first thing Donnie noticed when he awoke was that he was sitting down. True he probably woke up in a sitting position more than the average uh, boy, but it was still an odd position to find yourself in first thing in the morning.
Donnie looked down at himself, and found that he was completely strapped, from his neck to his ankles, to a wheelchair.
Oh no.
"I see you're awake turtle."
Donnie looked up seeing exactly what he expected. He was right in the middle of stockman's lab. His wheelchair leaning right up against the fly's messy desk. Although if one were to confront Stockman directly about this he would insist that it wasn't 'messy,' but his genius version of organized chaos.
But Donnie didn't question Stockman on the state of his paper misplacement. So to him, the desk just looked like the mess of a silly madman.
Even now the twisted freak was buzzing up and down above Shredder's head, only coming into Donnie's peripheral vision during his lowest descents.
"Stockman come here," Shredder commanded.
Stockman immediately obeyed positioning himself to Shredder's left.
"Listen well turtle, you will answer all of my questions, and you will do everything I tell you. And not because of Stockman's failed brain serum, you'll do it because I SAID SO!" said Shredder bringing his claws out from his gauntlet.
Donnie stared back at the man wide eyed. Donnie wasn't sure if his brothers shared this sentiment, but to Donnie the Shredder truly was an idiot, an extremely dangerous, overly emotional, kick ass idiot. To him the Shredder was a bad leader, a bad strategist, good for nothing but temper tantrums and showing his dominance. Almost like a male lion, as all the other female lions ran around to make him comfortable. Not even realizing just how little they got in return.
So before him Donnie just saw a deadly idiot, and in Donnie's world you don't trust idiots. You don't trust them enough to speak or interact with them more than on a base level.
So Donnie didn't reply to Shredder's words, and allowed himself to show a bit of the terror he was feeling. He would never do anything for the Shredder, but when dealing with the irrational, humility is best.
"But before that," the Shredder continued calmly, "let's make sure you can't run. You're already in a wheelchair; let's make sure you stay in one."
With his disgusting laugh Stockman began to approach Donnie holding two giant, rubber bands?
Donnie putting the meaning of Shredder's words and the bands together he realized what Stockman planned to do. With newfound terror Donnie gave a shout and started struggling, twisting his torso this way and that to free himself from the multiple straps.
"ST-STOCKMAN, YOU CAN'T! THAT WON'T SOLVE ANYHTING, I WON'T HELP YOU GUYS EVEN WITH THAT! Stockman you know this is unnecessary, just keep me tied up, or, or break my legs!" Donnie shouted trying to reason with the fly man closing in on him.
"Oooooh perrrrrhaps I could *bzzzzt* but this will be mooore *bzzzzt* fuuuun. And bezzzzides, he wantzzzz that zzzzmart little brain off yourzzzz in pervvvvect health. And you aren't worth the *bzzzzzzt* drugzzz we'd have to give you to keep you vvvvvunctional after we broke your legzzzzzzzz *bzzzzzzzt*," said Stockman chuckling at Donnie's foolish attempt to reason with him.
Only releasing one leg at a time Stockman slipped the large rubber bands onto Donnie's legs, pulling them up in tell they tightened around Donnie's upper thighs. All the while Shredder kept one of his blades pointed directly at Donnie's head, almost touching his temple to keeping the turtle from retaliating as Stockman did this.
Donnie could already feel his legs start to tingle in protest. Stockman had completely cut off blood circulation to his legs. Donnie's heart started to beat in horror, his breathing speeding up. This was worse, this was worse than pain. It was worse because Donnie knew the facts. His limbs could only last about four hours without blood circulation, after that they would start to die, and he would never walk again, never for as long as he lived.
His brothers were never going to make it to him in time. Heck it takes them four hours just to plan and stake out an area for a rescue. Not to mention however much time Karai needed to inform his family and be in a well enough state for them to leave her to save him. They would never make it in time, and even if they get him out he would be worse than crippled.
"Enough of this pathetic display turtle," Shredder said glaring at Donnie perspiring form. "This was found after your dishonorable defeat," Shredder brought out Donnie's poor misused backpack from before pouring the contents out uncaringly onto one of Stockman's already cluttered desks.
"It's obvious from its contents that you were trying to find my daughter Karai, and this," Shredder held up one of his handheld syringes from before. "Stockman analyzed this syringe and confirmed that its contents were released, recently. Did you stab my daughter with this? What is it?"
Still in despair over the recent possible loss of his legs, Donnie only glared angrily at the Shredder expecting no mercy from him, so giving the bastard nothing in return.
Donnie expected a punch, a slap? But to his surprise nothing came. Instead Shredder took out his phone and started to dial. "Gag him," the Shredder said as he brought the phone to his ear.
Stockman flew over to Donnie and wrapped a thick cloth around his head into his mouth. He finished this task just as the Shredder spoke, "Leonardo."
Back in the lair Karai was insisting upon an energy drink. But believing those things to be unhealthy, and not wanting Raph to get hooked on the stuff, Master Splinter and Leo made sure nothing like that was kept in their home. Still Karai insisted, threatening to go to the surface and buy one if necessary. She was still very weak, and had somehow gotten it into her head that a Monster would give her enough energy to go save Donnie.
Not liking her resolve they compromised. So Karai drank coffee instead, a lot of coffee, Donnie's coffee.
There's probably some irony here, but the strange family just didn't seem to have the heart to notice.
They were all gathered around the kitchen table, bouncing ideas off each other on how to get Donnie back, when Leo's shellcell rang.
He didn't know the number.
Everyone was silent as he answered, "Hello?"
"Leonardo."
Shredder! This was the Shredder's voice. Immediately Leo pressed the speaker button before replying.
"Shredder, what do you want?"
"I call because I respect your skill Leonardo. If Yoshi wasn't your teacher you could've gone on to do great things."
"Stop insulting my Sensei Shredder and get to the point."
"….Very well, whether you know this or not I have your brother, the weak one. The one that can amount to nothing more than wielding a stick."
"If you hurt him Shredder my family and I will hunt you down and-"
"Save your childish threats Leonardo. They mean nothing to me. And as for your brother I won't hurt him, if he does everything that I say. But like the rest of you his refusal to obey me is about to get him very hurt. Do you understand Leonardo? I am about to hurt him; I'm going to make sure he never walks, talks, holds a staff, ever again. And you know that I can. But I don't have to. Do. You. Understand me. Freak?"
There was a long pause as Leo studied the horrified and enraged members of his family.
Raph looked monstrous in his rage, Mikey looked horrified and pleading. Master Splinter glared at the phone in Leo's hand in silent anger.
But it was Karai, who looked the most murderous of them all. Her eyes weren't wide, they were huge! She didn't glare in her fury, she snarled! And that wasn't a candy bar that had suddenly appeared in her hands. Nope, that was definitely a knife.
Anger, they were all angry. But Leo wasn't sure if that meant that his family understood what Shredder was asking of him, but he understood. And he had already made his decision on how to act.
"I understand, put him on the phone."
Back in stockman's lab Donnie could hear at least Shredder's side of the whole conversation, unable to add anything to the talk. Now Shredder walked over to Donnie slicing through his gag leaving a small cut on Donnie's cheek. Shredder held the phone to Donnie's ear, "Speak," he commanded.
"Leo," Donnie said into the phone. His brother's name felt lame to his ears, as if he should have had more to say. But Donnie just couldn't think of anything better.
'Comfort him!' Donnie shouted to himself, 'Look at this you've messed up again! Leo doesn't deserve this so comfort him!' Breathing deeply Donnie began, "Don't worry Leo there's nothing he can do to me that will make me-"
"Donatello, I need you to listen to me," Leo interrupted in a cold serious voice, adding no comfort to Donnie's situation. "I want you to do everything that Shredder says. Unless it's vital information about us I want you to answer every single one of his questions. I am commanding you to be completely obedient to him. In tell we get there."
Donnie sucked in a breath "What, Leo you don't understand what you're asking, I can't do that. If it was you that got caught you would nev-"
"You're not me Donnie!" Leo snapped back.
Then Donnie heard another voice through the phone, a gruffer cheerfully sarcastic voice.
"So what Donnie, are you saying you don't trust us?" asked Raph teasingly.
"Wh-what, no, NO, I do, I trust you guys it's just," Donnie replied trying to defend his case.
"Believe in us D, we're going to save you, so just do what the cheese grater wants in tell we come to pick you up," Mikey said adding his bit.
Donnie almost teared up at the implications of what his brothers were saying. Even Leo, the one who was always willing to sacrifice for the 'greater good,' was taking this risk for his sake. Did they understand? Did all of them properly think of the horrible danger him working for Shredder could mean? He hoped so; he hoped they weighed the possibilities against his own worth to them. He hoped they thought of anything and everything, and choose him anyways.
It was a selfish thought, and for now Donnie blamed the fear for his self-indulgence. But he did believe in his brothers, really he did. And besides, the cowardly part of him didn't want to be hurt.
"Okay."
That was all he got to say before Shredder switched the phone off tossing it back onto Stockman's desk with Donnie's other supplies.
Donnie didn't even get to tell Leo his time limit for saving him, or at least for saving his numbing legs.
"Now," the Shredder began turning his attention to the trapped turtle, "Let's talk about my daughter's retro-mutagen."
Back at the lair Leo put down his phone hoping that just because the Shredder could call him, doesn't mean he could track him. But he probably would've done that by now if it was possible.
He looked worriedly at his family, "Looks like we bought ourselves some time," said Leo.
"No we didn't," Karai muttered.
Everyone turned their attention to her waiting for more.
Finally Raph growled "And what does that mean?"
"Weren't you guys paying attention?" Karai asked accusingly, "My fa- the Shredder needs him. That's worse than him just kidnapping one of you guys to get Yoshi out of hiding. I don't know much about Donnie, but I've heard stories, and I know he's smart, craaaaaazy smart. Shredder could be making him help with the Kraang invasion, or using him to build something to take over the world. Nuclear bombs, poisonous gas, better mutagen. The possibilities are literally endless, and now that you guys said what you did, Donnie's going to help him make every one of those things."
Raph leaned closer to Karai anger rearing its familiar ugly head into his heart. "So what? Are you saying we shouldn't have helped Donnie!? We should have just let him be tortured by that lowlife!? Is that what you're saying Karai!?"
"NO! I'M NOT SAYING THAT!" Karai yelled back pounding her small fist onto the kitchen tabletop, "I agree with what you said. Donatello saved my life! I would never want him to be hurt because of that! But what I am saying is that we have no time. We don't have time for me to heal or for us to make up some great plan. We need to go save him, all of us, right now."
Everyone was silent for only a moment before Splinter spoke, "I agree my daughter, but perhaps you should stay here, you are in no condition to-"
"Actually father I'm feeling a lot better," said Karai boldly facing her dad, "And I can take care of myself. I learned from my mistake last time I charged in to fight Shredder blindly, I understand my limits better now. It's why I didn't stop them when Bebop, Rocksteady, and Tigerclaw took Donatello. I was weak, could barely stand. So I didn't move, were in the past I think I would have tried to fight no matter what. But this time I knew better. I know when I'm beat, so I know I can handle this."
Raph lowered his tone dangerously, "You 'let,' them take my brother."
"Rapheal enough," Splinter said silencing his enraged son. We leave in twenty minutes; I suggest everyone goes to the bathroom before we leave. It's never good to have to make a pit stop in the middle of a mission."
With those lasting words of wisdom Splinter left the room.
"Such a wise man," Mikey said before getting up himself and dashing for the bathroom across the lair taking his master's words to heart.
Raph left as well, feeling sick to his stomach and wanting to get away from Karai before he snapped at her again.
Now it was just Leo and Karai.
Leo got up to make some more tea, already knowing what tea was Karai's favorite from the last time she was here.
He never forgot.
"Alright Leo let's hear what's got you down? Other than the whole, brother's kidnapped, thing. You've been practically mopping. And here I'd thought you'd be happy to see me," said Karai making sure to end her sentence with a benevolent smile.
Leo didn't turn around; he didn't want to say what he was thinking. But he knew he needed this, he needed to talk.
And he loved her; in some form or fashion he might not even know, he still loved her. So he spoke, just for her.
"He never said anything," Leo whispered still not facing Karai as he continued to make the tea.
"Who, Donatello?" asked Karai.
"Yeah him, he never said anything. I thought he had given up on working on a cure for you. But he didn't, and he went off and found you by himself. He tracked you down by himself, fought back Shredders goons by himself. And, and HE SAVED YOU….. all by himself," Leo said openly, but still not turning around to face her. "That wasn't right of him. He had no right to hide these things from me, to take that away from me."
"To take what away from you?" Karai asked in undisguised annoyance.
Leo spun around looking wild, "We-well I mean-"
Karai crossed her arms over her chest and under her small breasts, much to Leo's distraction.
Girls were never meant to look intimidating.
"So what? You had to save me? You think your some kind of hero, my hero? I don't need a hero Leo, I never have. I grew up playing with knives, not dolls."
"Karai I know that, that's not what I meant, it's just I-"Leo paused twisting his first finger with his opposite hand.
He didn't know what to say, for she was kind of right, kind of.
Karai studied Leo, her face softening. She knew that this was just who Leo was, she shouldn't begrudge him for this. He cared about her so he wanted to be the one to save her. It's just how the universe is supposed to work, and when she thought about it, during those short moments of clarity when she was lost to her snake form. It was always Leo who saved her in her day dreams, never Donatello. She was strong, she didn't need saving. Except in this instance, she did.
Karai sighed heavily. "Leo, I, I get it. You don't need to look so guilty. I get it. I'd want to save you to if the situation was reversed," Karai said leaving her spot at the kitchens table to walk up to Leo. "But so what, so what that you didn't save me, you know why? Because you and I are going to go do the next best thing. We are going to go save the one who did save me. And as a perk he's our brother. So Leo you're still saving me, and I'm saving all of you guys, because without that scrawny turtle all of us are going to fall apart," Karai reached her hands out gripping Leo's shoulders affectionately, and somehow, since it was Karai, it didn't seem awkward.
"These things even themselves out. And when we get him back you can take him straight to his room and lecture him for hours about some samurai loyalty bull crap," with that Karai released Leo and walked away to have her turn in the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes in tell their mission begins.
Karai is so cool! :D
But words aren't going to save Donnie!