Hope everyone is still with me. Sorry that this has taken so long to get posted. Ya know how life can get, heh.
Thanks to all that have read and reviewed so far and I hope that this chapter came out better this time...
I don't own them! I wish that I did...but sadly I don't.
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Chapter 5: Point taken
Don shifted on the cold, dusty floor. The darkness around him was thick and suffocating. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he was shoved into the small room and Leonardo had been taken. It had to be at least a couple of hours. Don tried to wiggle his numb fingers and swallow the sour taste that was rising in his throat. He couldn't keep his mind from wandering to his older brother. He wasn't sure if Leonardo was strong enough to handle being back here, especially with Donatello being with him.
His body tensed when he heard footsteps outside of the cell. He scrambled to his feet as fast as he could, his leg protesting the movement. A light buzzed on overhead and Don had to slam his eyes shut. He cracked them open when he heard the door slide open. Two foot soldiers strode inside, one positioned himself by the door and the other stood by Don.
Don straightened his posture and opened his mouth to demand the whereabouts of his brother. He quickly shut it when Starcher stalked in. He was wearing his long, black coat and dark gloves. Don was sure that he was glowering behind the dark glasses that were perched on his nose.
Don gave his best 'Raph glare' as Starcher looked him up and down. His fists opening and closing slowly.
Measuring him up.
Don could feel the hatred and malice radiate off of the old man. His heart thrummed so loud, he was surprised that the soldiers and Starcher could not hear it.
Starcher closed the gap between him and Don in two quick strides. Donny didn't have enough time to react before he drew his fist back and struck the purple clad ninja across the face. The blow knocked him to the ground. Don groaned, trying to blink the white spots from his eyes. He could hear Starcher mumble something, it was low and distorted. Something about not being so tough now.
After a few minutes, he managed to sit back up. A warm trickle of blood trailed down his cheek and the room swayed back and forth. He blinked in confusion at the old man, another groan escaped his lips. Starcher was twisting and turning his wrist. But instead of hearing bones pop and crack, he heard gears grind and whirl.
The professor reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"Do you mind?" He gestured to Donatello. But he plopped on between his lips and lit up before Don could answer. He took a deep drag and let the smoke shoot out of his nose and the corners of his mouth.
Don narrowed his eyes. "Where is Leonardo?"
Starcher snorted. "Isn't that sweet?" He turned to the soldier by the door. "He wants to know where his brother is."
The soldier chuckled.
"Careful what you ask for, freak." Starcher held his hand out to one of the soldiers and the ninja handed him a small remote.
Starcher sucked hard on his cigarette. He threw his head back and blew the smoke out with a loud sigh. He flicked the cigarette butt toward Don's leg, making Don scramble away to keep from being burned. Starcher snubbed out the fire with the tip of his shoe and pressed the button on the remote. A panel in the wall slid to the side and a small monitor was visible behind it.
Don's mouth went dry.
Leonardo, still with the dark hood over his head, was kneeling between two soldiers.
"Leo," Don barely whispered out.
He glared daggers at Starcher. "Let him go."
Chills ran through Don when he heard Starcher laugh.
"Is that the best you've got?"
Starcher shook his head. "Master Saki has business with him, and the other freaks."
He crouched down by Don and whispered, "Your mine."
Don raised an eye ridge. "What?"
"You can't tell me that you don't remember all those months ago?"
"Of course I remember," Don snarled. "You tried to turn my family against one another. You tortured Leonardo."
Don swallowed hard. "You got what was coming to you!" he spat.
"Wrong answer!" Starcher blasted.
He pointed to the screen and held up the remote. "If I press this button, a light will come on in there. The soldiers will see it and..."
Starcher pressed the button with more force than it needed. Nothing happened at first. Then, without warning, one of the soldiers struck Leonardo in the back of the head. The force knocked him forward and the other soldier kicked him in the side.
Don felt his heart jump to his throat.
"Stop!" he gasped.
"I suggest that you think about your words very carefully." Starcher's finger lingered over the button.
Don nodded.
Starcher clucked his tongue. "You're so predictable."
"Now," Starcher stood back up and started to pace the small room. "The way I remember it was that you and your family broke into my lab and stole my test subject."
He glared down his nose at Don, studying his reaction.
"My brother," Don corrected.
"Uh, uh, uh." He pushed the button again. "No interrupting."
"No!" Don's blood ran cold as he watched the soldiers assault his brother again.
"My test subject," Starcher continued. "But that wasn't good enough for you, was it? You had to destroy my work."
Starcher's face scrunched like he was tasting something vile. "You made me destroy it. My life's work."
Don bit his tongue to keep from retorting.
"Don't you have anything to say?"
Don's eyes nervously moved from Starcher's face to the device that he had in his hand. His breath hitched when Starcher's finger moved toward the button.
"Yes! I destroyed your work. All of it! Please don't..."
Starcher's lips curled into a smile.
"Let's play a game, shall we?" Starcher stopped pacing and crouched back down by Don.
Don's head was spinning. "A g-game?"
Starcher slowly nodded his head, the sadistic smile still on his face. "Let's see how much I can make you do."
"Remove his cuffs," he said to the soldier.
The soldier unlocked the shackles and stepped away, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Don rubbed his wrists and glared back at Starcher. The professor grabbed Don's hand and placed the remote in it.
"Push the button," he hissed.
"What?" Don held the remote close to his chest. He couldn't let Starcher get it. "No! I will not let you hurt my brother."
Starcher chuckled. A deep,sinister laugh. "Not me. You push the button."
"No!"
"Alright." Starcher's voice was icy. It sent chills down Don's spine.
"You!" He pointed to the soldier by the door. "Go and slit Leonardo's throat."
"Yes, sir." The soldier unsheathed his sword and stepped toward the door.
Don's blood froze. "No, d-don't!"
The soldier paused.
"Then if you don't want his neck opened from one side to the other, push the button." Starcher bared his teeth.
Don squeezed his eyes shut and pressed the button.
"I'm sorry, Leo." His voice was so low, but he knew Starcher heard it.
"Look at the screen."
Don felt the tip of a sword press against his throat. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the screen. A tear that he couldn't hold back ran down his cheek and mingled with the blood from earlier.
Starcher laughed and clapped his hands. "Now, that was fun." He turned to one of the ninja. "Wasn't that fun?"
Don felt like he could be sick. His stomach knotted and the bitter taste of bile snaked it's way up his throat.
"Do it again." He glared down at the turtle.
"You've proved your point!" Don snarled.
Starcher rammed his fist into the wall next to his head. "I've proved nothing!"
"Now, if you don't want to spend the night with your brother's head, you will push the button again!" Spittle had formed in the corners of his mouth and Don could see his own reflection in his dark glasses.
Don felt like he could choke on the lump that had formed in his throat. He swallowed thickly and pressed the button with a trembling hand. A sob escaped his lips as he watched the brutal blows rain down on his brother.
"It feels terrible to have to do something that you don't want to do." His breath was hot and smelled like alcohol and smoke.
He stood back up and straightened his coat. "You think about that."
He hitched his thumb to the door. "Now, I'm going to go and welcome your brother back." He pushed the button for the panel to slide back into place, covering the monitor. "It will be a private conversation."
"You understand, don't you?" He said over his shoulder as he followed the soldiers out the door.
The door slid shut. Don buried his head into is arms as the hot tears fell down his face. He didn't care who heard his pain.
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The next chapter should be posted sooner, promise :)