I wanted to have this chapter out before the weekend, I hope that it doesn't seem rushed. My dad is finally getting to come home from the hospital...with that and Halloween, this weekend is going to be busy. So, Happy Halloween!

I asked for them for my birthday (which is today), I didn't even get them on my cake :(

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Chapter 12: Another Person's Nightmare

Don was quickly ushered down the hall and into another lab. The soldiers wasted no time in shackling him to the table with metal cuffs.

"You can wait outside," Starcher told the soldiers. "I will call if you are needed."

One ninja checked the straps over Don's wrists and ankles one last time before he followed his comrades out of the room.

Starcher stepped beside the table and glared at Don. His smile grew when he heard another strangled sob escape the purple clad turtle's throat.

Starcher's image blurred as fresh tears welled up in Don's blood shot eyes. He quickly turned his head.

He couldn't look at the man who murdered his brother any longer.

His breath hitched when he felt a cold metal band slide onto his head.

"Did your brother tell you of the time he spent here?" Starcher's voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm sure that he talked to someone about the research that was done on him."

Don squeezed his eyes shut.

"Maybe this will make you remember."

A thick leather strap was shoved into his mouth.

"Leonardo didn't last very long with this treatment," Starcher snarled. "I will make sure that you last longer."

Starcher turned his attention to the door when he heard it slide open.

"Mr. Hale," Starcher addressed the man as he walked in. "You are late. "

Jeff's cheeks reddened. "I'm sorry, sir."

Donny glanced at the man as he approached the table, but turned his head again. This man had a hand in killing his brother too, and it made his stomach churn just to look at him.

"I trust you have finished with the other turtle."

"Yes, sir." Hale noticed the shiver in the purple clad turtle when the other was mentioned. Elyse's words played over in his mind, but he shook off the thoughts. He was here to do a job. All he had to do was follow orders and he would be out of that rat-hole of an apartment in no time.

Elyse was just being ridiculous.

He stretched another pair of latex gloves over his hands. "I'm ready, Professor."

Starcher nodded. "The dial is set. Start low and then raise it one notch on my command."

"Yes, sir."

Don swallowed thickly, the taste of blood and leather filled his mouth.

He tried to brace himself for what he knew would happen, but when Mr. Hale threw the switch and the electricity surged through the metal bands, his body convulsed. A scream bubbled up his chest and into his throat, but the strap in his mouth prevented it from going any further.

The dial was turned off by Jeff and the painful arc of electricity stopped. But Don's muscles still twitched and his chest heaved with labored breaths.

After a few moments, Starcher signaled for Jeff to raise the amount of electricity.

"Hit the switch again." Starcher's voice was ice cold.

Jeff had to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat as he pushed Elyse's haunting words to the back of his mind again.

Not research...torture.

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It wasn't long before Casey came back into the lair, keys to the rental van in his pocket.

Mikey and Raph had fallen asleep in the living area of the lair. Raph's head shot up when he heard his friend enter the lair.

"Where's April?" Casey asked in a whisper. Mikey hadn't stirred and he didn't want wake him up.

"She's napping in the lab," Raph answered. He motioned for Casey to join him in the kitchen.

"It will still be a few hours before we can leave," Raph said as he handed Casey a can of soda. He sat one on the table for himself.

"I thought we could plan a little more. We need to be prepared for anything." He winced a little at sounding like his older brother.

"Did you get the van?"

"Yep," Casey grinned as he handed the keys to Raph. "It runs real good and has plenty of room. And it's white."

Raph gave his friend a confused look. "It's white? Why don't we just paint a big target on the side!" Aggravation laced his tone.

Casey ignored the tone of Raph's voice. "Yeah, it's white. I was thinkin'." He paused out of habit, waiting for cutting remark.

When all he got was a raised eye ridge from Raph, he continued. "Have it There Yesterday Delivery Service is on the other side of the street. All of their vans are white, and I thought if we parked there we would blend in."

Raph blinked at the dark haired man. "That's...That's a good idea, Case."

"I know that just about killed you to say," Casey smiled and gave Raph a friendly punch to the shoulder.

"I never thought I would say those words in the same sentence," Raph smiled back. "It felt unnatural."

"Hardy-har-har."

Raph chuckled a little as he rolled out the blueprints for foot headquarters on the table. "OK, we know that they are expecting us. The alley entrance that Leo told Splinter about is not marked as an entrance on the blueprints, so they probably don't know that we are aware of it. They will think that we would enter from the roof or the sub-basement. So we can use that to our advantage."

"Get in and get them out, right?" Casey took a drink of his soda.

"Right. Donny first and then Leo."

Casey nodded. "We'll bring 'em home."

"I know."

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Elyse used her fingernail and gently pulled the edge of the tape that held Leo's I.V. into place. She kept her eyes on Leo's face, searching for a reaction.

She tried to convince herself that this would be best. She is helping this creature, he is better off dead than to be tortured.

Her head snapped up and she dropped her hand to her side when she heard the door hiss open. She thought it would be Jeff returning to check on the turtles progress.

It wasn't.

She drew in a sharp breath when a young woman with dark hair and piercing green eyes entered. She had saw this woman before...on the news.

"Oroku Saki's daughter...Carrie, Kara?" she thought. "No, Karai."

"Who are you?" Karai looked Elyse up and down.

Elyse finally released the breath she didn't know she was holding. Her eyes never left the hilt of the sword that stuck up behind the woman's shoulder.

"Um, Elyse...Elyse Bowen. I'm one of-of Professor Starcher's assistants." Elyse inwardly groaned at how she stuttered.

Karai hitched her chin up a fraction and raised an eyebrow. "I see."

She finally turned her stare from Elyse to the turtle on the table.

"Will he live?" Karai's voice held no emotion.

"Y-yes. He needs this." Elyse motioned to the bag of liquid dripping into the I.V. tube. "It is flushing his system."

Karai nodded. "I want to be informed the moment he is stable enough to be moved."

"Of-of course," Elyse said.

Without another word, Karai turned and left the room.

Elyse let out a shaky breath when the door shut.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out as she smoothed the tape back.

"I don't want to be the one to tell that woman you didn't survive."

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You don't know how bad that I wanted to end this chapter at "It wasn't". Hmm...maybe I should up my dose of evil vitamins....