Slight warning: this chapter can be slightly graphic. Nothing is explicitly written, but it is implied.
"Tell me, was being Saki's servant part of the deal? I'm curious" I sneer as Kevin puts the plates down on the ground, sliding it over to our part of the room. I glance at the food before glaring at my adoptive dad yet again. His eyes meet mine, anger present, anger that I was all too familiar with.
"Be grateful Saki doesn't want me harming you.. yet" Kevin threatened, leaving his eyes on me for another minute. I don't say anything and neither does he, we just stare at each other, both hatred in our eyes. Eventually it was my dad who breaks the contact, standing up and looking down at me before turning around.
"I want to know why" I speak up through gritted teeth. Why was he working with this Saki, why did he start hurting me? My dad stops in place, not turning around. "WHY?!" I scream, standing up and walking over to the bars, gripping it tightly until my knuckles were turning white.
This time my dad does turn around, glancing down at my hands before roaming towards my face again. Yet his face doesn't show any emotion whatsoever, just an empty void.
Then without saying anything he turns around again, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. I stumble backwards, the silence like a harsh blow in the face, more painful than any beating I remembered.
"Raph" Mikey speaks up, looking up from his position on the ground. I look at him, still curled up on the ground and a blanket wrapped around him, trying to sleep. Sleeping before I had yelled.
"I woke you?" I ask, voice strained but Mikey shakes his head.
"Couldn't really sleep" He mumbles, slowly getting up until he was sitting.
"Nightmares?" I ask, walking over to him and sitting down next to him. Without looking at me Mikey uncurls himself from the blanket, wrapping it around me as well.
"Couldn't sleep" He just says, but I already understand what he was hinting at. He didn't sleep at all, or barely slept long enough to have dreams or nightmares in the first place. I sigh, wrapping my arm around him and bringing him closer. Mikey complies, leaning against me and closing his eyes.
"Would you stop looking for me?" Mikey asks after a silence and I frown, looking at him but Mikey refuses to meet my eyes, staring in front of him at nothing in particular.
"Never" I speak, my voice firm. Mikey nods tiredly but I knew what the question really meant. He was unsure if dad was looking for us, if Leo and Don were. He needed the assurance that someone was looking for him. And I really couldn't blame him after he was left alone almost 5 years ago.
The police gave up on him, just forgot about him when they realised there wasn't anyone interested in getting him back.
He needed to know that there was still hope of getting out.
TMNT
"You guys spoiled me too much" Mikey mumbled tiredly, letting his head fall back against the wall, staring up at the wall with a small groan. Raph smirks slightly, opening his eyes for a moment.
"So this is all our fault right now?" He snickers weakly as Mikey's stomach protests again.
"Maybe not" Mikey smiled for a second, before it leaves his face again. "They didn't feed me every day, I used to be able to handle it" Mikey continues, closing his eyes as well. He felt Raph shifting, his older brother currently using him as a human pillow to try to sleep, but they were both too hungry to actually fall asleep.
Raph's stomach churned painfully and he groaned in frustration, swallowing a few times but nothing satisfied his stomach.
It had already been two days, two days since they had last seen Kevin, Raph's dad, two days since they had seen anyone, and two days since they'd been given food. Water bottles had been stacked in their cell. Not many but enough for them to comfortably live with for now, to at least clench the thirst.
But they hadn't been given any food, and it was wearing them down.
"Why ain't they giving us food?" Raph asks in a weak voice, not really excepting an answer.
"To get us to cooperate" Mikey mumbles back, shuddering slightly and Raph cringes at the sentence. Mikey didn't need to elaborate for Raph to understand what was going on. They were starving them, just like they had starved Mikey at the beginning, when he was just taken in in the brothel.
They were starving them to get them to cooperate for something, to make them so desperate for food that they'd do anything. Raph narrowed his eyes slightly, no way in hell was he going to submit to them, ever. He understood why Mikey succumbed all those years ago though.
He never blamed Mikey for giving him, or considered him weak for doing so.
With his parents dying, and having nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to, his mind was fragile. And the isolation, the hunger and the thirst took its toll on him.
Not now, not when they were together, and not now they were older, stronger.
Just as both of them were starting to drift the door slammed open. Simultaneously both brothers' eyes snapped open, Raph scrambling upwards and looking at the approaching figures.
"No" Raph whispers as Hun walks up to him, grabbing his arm roughly. Raph growls in pain, trying to rip his arm away but the grip on his arm was too strong.
"Stay away from him" Mikey screamed, scrambling to his feet but before he could try to help his brother someone caught his wrist. His eyes widened, cowering at the face that was in front of him.
His mouth went dry and he felt himself pale. "Zucco.." He whispered, taking a step backwards, a futile and weak attempt to get away. Zucco grinned, taking a step forwards to lessen the distance between them again.
"We meet again" Zucco grinned.
"I'm useless, they know you forced me" Mikey spoke weakly but Zucco snickered again, shaking his head.
"Are you really that ignorant to believe the customers don't know that?" Zucco asks, twisting Mikey's arm and turning the boy around until his back was against Zucco's chest. "They don't care about that, they only care about your cute face" He whispered and Mikey started to tremble on the spot, fear coursing through him.
"Like hell you are taking him back!" Raph growls, renewing his struggles.
"A little help" Hun spoke with an annoyed tone, having little problem to restrain Raph.
"Raph" Mikey whispered, looking eyes with his older brother, both eyes full of fear.
"Don't be afraid little bro" Raph shouted, but Mikey didn't answer, only looking at Raph with fear in his eyes, looking into green eyes that displayed the same fear.
Raph's head snapped to the side at the sound of someone else walking into the room.
"Finally" Kevin growled, stalking towards Raph without hesitation.
"Raph!" Mikey screamed, struggling again.
As long as I'm standing.
Kevin swung his arm backwards, tightening his fist and he swung forwards. The blow seemed like a thunderbolt, connecting with Raph's jaw at immense speed and he crumbled to the ground.
Nobody will hurt you.
"NOOO!" Mikey screamed, but Hun had already started dragging Raph out of the room, lifeless, unconscious. Zucco growled, roughly pushing Mikey forwards to make him start moving. Tremors seemed to envelop his entire being as he complied, walking with shaky steps.
"NO! RAPH!" He screamed again as Zucco turned him to the right, the opposite direction of Raph. He struggled again, wriggling out of Zucco's grasp. Without thinking about it he sprinted towards his unconscious brother. He screamed, trying to hit Hun, make him release Raph.
"Raph wake up" Mikey pleaded but Raph was unresponsive. Hun smirked, dropping Raph from his grasp. "Please" He whispered, voice cracking. But Raph didn't wake up, mouth slightly agape and a red spot appearing on his jaw already.
He was alone.
"No" Mikey whispers, heart sinking in his chest and sinking to his knees. And still, Raph never opened his eyes. He tensed as he felt a hand wrap around his arm, hauling him upwards, but he didn't struggle. Zucco easily picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder and walking off.
Mikey's blue eyes could only latch themselves onto the still figure of his older brother, until Hun dragged him out of his sight.
Alone.
TMNT
"I'm useless, let me go" Mikey tried, struggling furiously in Zucco's grip. He didn't know it here, he didn't recognise the building, but he knew the man that was holding him, knew him all too well.
Zucco snickered behind him, pushing him around the corner before shoving him into a room. Mikey immediately fell to the ground, turning around and crawling backwards. His eyes were wide as Zucco shut the door, locking it.
"Sadly the old building was compromised, but I'm good with improvising" Zucco shrugs almost nonchalantly. Mikey's eyes darted around nervously, taking in the room he was currently in. it was a simple room, a bed in the middle but not much else was present, which was probably what Zucco meant by improvising.
"Dad is looking for me, they will find this place" Mikey glared, but he was trembling where he sat on the ground. Zucco didn't even look at him, sitting down on the chair that was next to the door. After a few seconds his gaze did find Mikey's eyes and Mikey immediately cringed at the attention.
It was the exact same look he had almost 5 years ago now.
"Don't count on it kid" Zucco says, shaking his head with a chuckle. "They don't care about someone like you. They didn't find you before, didn't look for you. The police found this building only because Saki wanted them to, you know that"
Mikey tries to glare but tears were lingering in his eyes. "I have a family now.. they won't stop looking" Zucco throws his head back, letting out a laugh.
"Please kid, they barely know you. They will stop looking eventually" Zucco laughs, standing up slowly and walking up to Mikey. The latter glares again, crawling backwards ever so slightly but not taking his eyes off the guy approaching him.
"You're lying" He whispers hoarsely. "They will come" They promised we were family, they said they loved me.
"Don't try convincing me, it won't work" Zucco says, glancing down at the cowering boy. "Though I don't know if you should convince yourself, you will only disappoint yourself"
"I won't corporate, not anymore" Mikey retorts but Zucco didn't react like he wanted to. If anything, he seemed pleased with the statement, happy with what Mikey was pointing out. Or he was just smug about Mikey not being able to get the better of him. That he still had this psychological advantage over the smaller boy.
"I don't expect you to be, I lost that obedient boy when you were taken away" Zucco answers calmly, cupping Mikey's chin. The latter frowns, slapping the hand away, flinching at the way Zucco talks about him. "But don't fret, we will work with this" Zucco mutters, a grin spreading on his face.
Mikey's head snapped to the side as a knock was heard on the door and Zucco's eyes seemed to light up.
"He knows you are not obedient, and he knows you're here against your will. He doesn't care. If anything-" Zucco stops himself, waiting a second before unlocking the door and opening it. "He likes it when his boys squirm"
Mikey can't contain the whimper that escapes his throat as a man steps into the room, eyes roaming around until they focus on Mikey. He recognises that look, he knows what is going on. It seemed like the temperature just dropped multiple degrees and he can feel himself start to shake in terror.
He knew what this meant.
This was his customer.
Without really thinking about it Mikey starts to crawl backwards again, almost immediately hitting the wall behind him. He lets out a yelp in surprise, his limbs twitching but he is frozen as the man roams over his entire body with his eyes. He's so far away, meters between them, and yet way too close.
It was sickening. He escaped, this wasn't supposed to happen.
They said he would never go back, they promised.
And yet he couldn't blame them. Raph tried.. And now his adopted dad captured him as well.
"He's cute" The man spoke in a low voice, walking up to Zucco and grinning down at Mikey. "I like the freckles" He comments, tilting his head slightly to look at Mikey from another angle. The latter was still shaking but he narrowed his eyes, scrambling to his feet and darting past the man and Zucco.
His legs felt like liquid rubber but he stumbled to the door, violently pressing down on the door handle.
But it didn't open.
He could hear snickers coming from behind him, Zucco's snickers he recognised all too well. He let out a frustrating sob, tears streaming down his face as he tried the door handle again, but the door didn't budge, didn't open. Of course it didn't open, of course it was locked, he heard Zucco lock it again.
He wasn't going to let him go again.
"Feisty this one" The man snickers, simply turning around but making no move towards Mikey. He knew he couldn't go anywhere. Mikey reluctantly and numbly turned around, eyes darting around for a possible escape, a weapon to attack even but he found none. Nothing to defend himself, and no way out.
"Take your time with this one, it's his first time in a few years" Zucco spoke, directly looking at Mikey while he spoke. Mikey shudders but the man next to Zucco just smiled, stalking over to him.
"Don't touch me!" Mikey cries out, trying to hit the man but he simply caught his wrist. Without much effort he dragged Mikey to the other wall, pinning him against it. With the other hand he grasped Mikey's free arm, bringing them together and holding both hands with only one of his.
"Don't go easy on him, he's used to a lot" Zucco grins and the man nods, not taking his eyes off Mikey's blue ones.
"No problem" The man grins, reaching in his pocket and taking out money and giving it to Zucco, the two nodded to each other before the man turned to Mikey again. The smaller boy squirmed, trying to twist himself out of the man's grasp but the man was strong, too strong, and had no problem holding Mikey with only one hand.
The man reached for his pocket, taking a knife from it and bringing it out in full view to see. Mikey paled at the knife, struggling even more but the man merely hooked the tip of the knife on his shirt, ripping it upwards and easily cutting through the material.
"Stop!" Mikey growled, but the man didn't seem to hear him, stashing the knife before ripping the shirt apart completely with his bare hands. The man dug into his pockets again, taking out a pill, holding it to Mikey's face.
"Swallow it" The man ordered but Mikey clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head. The man frowned, suddenly charging forwards and pressing his forearm against Mikey's throat. The latter yelps in surprise and the man takes the opportunity to force the pill inside Mikey's mouth.
He immediately put the hand on top of Mikey's mouth, making it impossible for him to spit it out. The other arm was still pressed against his throat. Mikey struggled, clawing at the arms but he wasn't strong enough, and the loss of oxygen was making his head pound painfully, and made his legs quiver beneath him.
Then he did what the man told him, he swallowed the pill. The man grinned, releasing Mikey's throat, causing the boy to immediately suck in a choked breath, coughing and spluttering.
"Wha..-" Mikey spluttered as the man grabbed his wrists again, pinning them above his head.
The man leaned in, nipping at his earlobe. "It's a muscle relaxant, can't have you struggling too much little mouse" He whispers, turning his face and putting his lips against Mikey's. The boy splutters, trying to turn his head away but the man doesn't seem to mind, his free hand trailing down to Mikey's belt.
Mikey's eyes widened at the cold touch, fingers trailing down his stomach but he could already feel the pill taking effect, his legs feeling weak beneath him. Not just from fear or exhaustion, this was different.
There was no way out.
Zucco grinned, unlocking the door to the hallway and opening it. He looked back one more time, before shutting the door.
Just before he did so, Mikey let out a scream. A mixture of sadness, anger, anguish and pain.
Just like old times.