Chapter 10

The roar of the ship's engines thrummed through the menagerie hall. Leo's blood turned to ice, and he could feel Mikey's worried gaze as his shaking grew worse. No. No, please. Already he seemed to feel the cold grip of the collar around his neck again - that was bad enough, but now his brothers and Angel were here. They'd be caught, and once Leo was dead and his captor had hung his shell in the trophy hall, they would be tortured and dissected, too.

Panic and dread froze him in place, and Mikey tightened his hold, pushing him along. "Come on, Leo," he said in his ear. "It's okay, just keep moving."

It's not okay. We're lost. He felt the familiar lurch in his stomach as the ship left the gravity well of the planet and artificial gravity kicked in. The rumble of the engine dwindled to a barely detectable hum, and in the ensuing silence, he heard the far door hiss open, and the familiar footsteps of his captor as it entered the hall. Drones zipped by overhead. Don's damping field continued to block them, but the creature had long strides, and before long it came hurrying around an enclosure full of orange-ruffed primates. Its four eyes went wide, and the needle-toothed grin threatened to split its face.

"We knew there were more!" it crowed. "It lied and it lied but we knew it was lying!"

Mikey pulled Leo back as Don and Angel stepped in front of them. Both of them were wielding bo staves. "We're taking Leo with us," Don said. His voice was as low and furious as Leo had ever heard it. "Turn the ship around and take us back."

The grin grew impossibly wider. "It will be studied as well." Its eyes flicked to Leo as it thumbed the control rod. The mag cuffs snapped his wrists together in front of him, but besides that, Leo didn't react, and irritation flashed across its face as it saw that the collar had been removed. "This does not matter," it said, speaking half to itself. "It cannot escape."

Don sprang forward without warning, swinging his bo in a deadly arc. The creature shrieked as the staff cracked against its shoulder, sending it reeling back against the cage behind it. The forcefield sparked and sizzled, flaring as the creature attempted to claw itself out of range. Don's next strike missed its head only because it fell, and it screeched again as the staff cracked against its hip. But its hand still clutched the control rod, and before Don could move in for the next strike - aiming for its head again - it mashed the buttons on the rod and Don slammed into the forcefield that snapped into place in front of it. For the first time, in spite of the protective barrier between itself and Donatello, Leo could see a glimmer of fear in the black and yellow eyes. Don retreated a step or two, jaw clenched, eyes cold and hard as he watched the creature stagger to its feet.

As soon as Don had attacked, Mikey had moved. Keeping one arm around Leo for support, he held a nunchuck at the ready in his free hand, and he pulled him back down the narrow aisle between cages. It was all Leo could do to keep his footing, no matter how much he leaned on Mikey.

"Guys, watch your left!" Angel snapped, stepping forward beside Don, standing tall and broad to block the creature's line of sight to Mikey and Leo as much as she could. A drone zipped in from behind a nearby enclosure, firing the bright blue beam that Leo knew would envelop her in a forcefield. It couldn't target her directly due to the signal blocker she wore, but the beam swept in a wild curve as it made a grab for her. Angel was faster, though, and she swept her bo in a wide arc and a drone crashed to the floor in a shower of sparks. Mikey lowered Leo to the ground and grabbed both his chucks, placing himself in front of Leo like a shield.

Mikey, don't! The thought of Angel and his brothers as the creature's test subjects was unbearable. The fear gave him strength, and he forced himself to his feet. But Mikey saw him move, knew what he was trying to do, and he shifted in kind, keeping his body between Leo and the drones. "Not the time for the self-sacrifice routine, Leo!" he said cheerfully, smashing another pair of drones as they swooped down.

Movement high overhead caught Leo's eye, and with a thrill of terror he saw the silhouette of the large drone that had pursued him back on Earth hovering near the skylight. He lunged for Mikey. He could hardly feel his hands any more, but even restrained as he was, he managed to seize his brother's arm and yank him back. A tranquilizer dart bounced against the deck at Mikey's feet and spun off between the cages.

"Yeep!" Mikey yelped. "Heads up guys! Bogey at twelve o'clock!"

Angel gasped and ducked, and the next instant another dart skipped off the back of Don's shell. Mikey shouldered Leo back again and this time Leo let him. He could hardly stand any longer, and his shoulder ricocheted painfully off the forcefield of a nearby cage as he stumbled. All of them were attempting to retreat towards the door, but the narrow aisles made it difficult and the swarms of drones were hemming them in.

Three more swept in from the side. Angel leapt forward to shield Don, letting out a yelp as she was snared instead. Don struck down one of the drones that had locked onto her, but the next moment, a forcefield closed around him and lifted him from the ground. With the last of his strength, Leo threw himself into the path of another wave of approaching drones. The forcefield beam struck him in the chest and jerked him off his feet - but his effort was in vain, because as soon as the forcefield yanked him out of the way, Mikey was seized.

The animals in the surrounding cages had been roused by the combat. Jeweled lizards shrieked and the orange ruffed primates chattered agitatedly as the creature strolled forward. The brief flash of fear was gone, and it looked with smug satisfaction at its prisoners. It rolled its four-eyed gaze toward Leo. "It should have known escape was futile."

Leo knew he should be angry. Months ago, he would have been. But he was exhausted and sick and in pain and he had no strength left for rage, and the thought that he might need to watch his brothers and his friend be tortured to satisfy this creature's curiosity only filled him with overwhelming despair.

He expected the creature to take them directly to its lab, but before it could take them anywhere, several flashes of light could be seen outside the overhead dome as three large ships abruptly appeared nearby. The creature's pupils flared and narrowed in surprise and confusion, and it hissed in annoyance as its wrist comm chimed with an outside hail. It glanced around for a moment before directing the drones to carry all of them to Leo's ruined cage. The forcefield snapped into place around the sagging dirt walls as the four of them tumbled to the grass, and the creature stalked away.

Leo lay facedown with his bound hands trapped beneath him, choked with dread and out of breath even after his minimal activity. The surge of relief he'd felt at the sight of Don and Mikey had faded away, leaving him cold and empty, and he closed his eyes wearily, breathing in the smell of damp grass.

Hands slipped beneath his arms and lifted him from the ground. Mikey scooted behind him to let Leo lean back against his chest. Leo lay heavily against him, turning to press his face against Mikey's neck. Mikey twitched a little and hugged him closer. "You're burning up, dude," he murmured. He exchanged a worried glance with Don as Leo shivered against him.

"Leo? It's going to be okay," Don said softly. He fiddled with the mag cuffs and his handheld device for a moment before making a soft Ha! under his breath, and with a quiet beep, they disengaged and opened, falling inert to the ground. He smiled when Leo turned to look at him. "Believe me, it's going to be fine. Now, come on, let me take a look at you."

Leo couldn't have resisted if he'd wanted to. The pounding in his head streaked down his spine, and the numbing pins-and-needles in his hands and feet was creeping up his limbs and he couldn't keep his hands from twitching. He was freezing and everything hurt, and now that his brothers were here, all the energy he'd put toward trying to protect himself had utterly deserted him.

Angel pulled herself up the gently sloping grass to sit behind Don and hand him supplies from his duffel when he asked. Mikey took the bottle of water Don held out, and lifted it for Leo to drink a little every few minutes. Don gently tilted Leo's chin up to get a look at his neck. His expression was carefully blank as he saw six months' worth of chafing and bruising from repeated injections. "Nothing much we can do there," he said, doing an admirable effort of keeping his voice calm and reassuring. "It doesn't look good, but it will heal."

He cradled Leo's cold and battered hands in his own, frowning as he felt the intermittent tremors and muscle twitches. "Do you know what's causing this?"

Drugged me, Leo answered silently. Made me berserk. I'd black out. Something's wrong with me, my hands and feet are numb, I can't keep them from shaking.

That, he could tell, did make Don worried, but he didn't say it aloud. Instead he took the first aid supplies as Angel held them out, gently cleaning and bandaging the cuts and blisters on Leo's hands and forearms. In spite of everything, Leo couldn't help feeling a measure of relief and safety now that his brothers had him, even if he knew it was a lie.

He wrapped his fingers clumsily around Don's hand to get his attention. Where's Raph?

"Probably still on Jhanna's ship with Traximus," Don answered. He smiled when Leo's eyes widened. "You remember seeing her?" He waited for Leo's surprised nod before continuing. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but she crossed paths with Traximus, and they came to get us. They knew the Collector would be bringing you here to fight in the tournament. We got here a few hours before you arrived."

He was so tired. Mikey's arms were warm around him but he still ached with cold, and it was hard to think. …Raph stayed behind? It didn't seem right.

Don's hands were steady and reassuring around his. "We couldn't be completely sure where you were, so we split into teams."

Which made sense, but…

Don smiled gently. "Raph's okay, Leo. His arm is injured, so coming along to the ship wasn't the best idea, but he's all right. I promise."

Something still wasn't right, but he could tell Don was telling the truth. Don wasn't worried about Raph.

…He wasn't…worried much at all, actually. Glancing between Don, Angel, and Mikey, he realized that none of them seemed particularly concerned, in spite of being captured by the creature that had kept him prisoner for months. Leo tilted his head back against Mikey's shoulder, glancing out at the ships hovering overhead again, brow furrowed uneasily. Don, what's going on?

"Contingency plan number, uh…"

"Four," Angel put in helpfully.

"Yes, plan number four." Don's smile shifted from reassuring to smug. "I told you we came prepared."

Raph shifted impatiently, the fingers of his left hand kneading the palm of his right as the first prickles of sensation began to return. Splinter's nerve blocks were starting to wear off more quickly, and although he wasn't looking forward to the pain when it finally broke through, he'd grimly decided he could take it. He hadn't been ready for it before, and the shock of it had stunned him. If he'd anticipated it - if he'd been ready - he never would have let go of Leo.

Now all three of his brothers and Angel were aboard an enemy ship that was rapidly making its way out of the system.

Splinter stepped close to his side, gazing out the window beside him as Jhanna fired her ship's thrusters in pursuit. "Are you all right, my son?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm fine." Raph's voice was rough with worry, but Splinter knew it was not directed at him. He fidgeted again, feeling trapped with his arm restrained against his chest. Because of the nerve block, he couldn't move it or feel it, and he felt lopsided and clumsy with the deadened limb weighing down his right side. "I hate this," he growled. "This son of a bitch has all of them. You saw what it did to Leo, what if it hurts the others, too?"

Splinter's hand rested gently on his shell. "Trust our friends." He nodded out the window. "Look."

In the space beyond the Collector's ship, the blank expanse of starry sky suddenly rippled and flared as three cruisers dropped their cloaking shields and moved to intercept. Up in the cockpit, Jhanna smiled with grim satisfaction, listening to the hail from the lead ship. Up ahead, the Collector's ship slowed and stopped while the other ships closed in. Jhanna set course for the largest of the new vessels that had uncloaked. "We're ready," she said. "We're going aboard the Starspear and they'll dock with the Collector's vessel."

Raph stayed at the window while Jhanna's smaller ship entered the Starspear's docking bay. Traximus had already gathered their supplies, and he fell in beside Raph and Splinter as Jhanna led the way down the ramp.

The docking bay was large and noisy. Any other time, Raph would have been interested to look around at the various shuttles and smaller ships, but his impatience, worry, and still-simmering anger kept his focus on Jhanna and the group of her people who were preparing the shuttle to the Collector's ship.

"This is Vel," Jhanna said, introducing a tall, willowy woman with dark blue skin and wispy, short, light blue hair. "She is our ambassador."

"One of the ambassadors," Vel interrupted. "The only one who could drop everything and come to the outer fringe of the galaxy on short notice."

"The only one who would," Jhanna said. She smiled slightly at the fond look Vel gave her, then gestured at the others. "Dalon is on our planetary council, and Khavo is a doctor." Dalon was the shortest of the group, their light blue skin tone and braided hair similar to Jhanna's.

Khavo was a broad, heavyset man with navy blue skin even darker than Vel's and blue-black hair cut close to his scalp. He gave Raphael a kind look. "If you like, I can take a look at that arm when we have retrieved your brothers and your friend."

Vel beckoned them all into the shuttle, along with two heavily armored guards, and then sat in the corner close to Dalon, both of them scrolling through documents on a tablet and speaking in low voices. The Collector's ship grew in the window as the shuttle approached. Raph tensed as they landed in the wide, brightly lit docking bay. He followed Jhanna and her people down the ramp, with Splinter and Traximus close behind.

The door on the far side of the room opened and the Collector stalked in. Reading alien social cues wasn't always easy but in spite of the wide, needle-toothed grin on xyr face, xe was clearly limping, and the four, rapidly blinking eyes let Raph guess that xe was pretty annoyed.

"Jolarren emissaries, we are surprised to see them," xe said, spreading xyr twiglike, seven-fingered hands. "And a triceraton. What do they want?" Xe froze, then, as Khavo shifted slightly to make room, and xyr eyes fixed on Raph and Splinter. "They have another one!" xe said excitedly. "And what is that?"

"They are actually what we are here to discuss," Vel replied. "The Jolarren Collective has sent us to investigate a violation of Treaty 20985.826.4."

"We have violated nothing," the Collector replied. "We have not entered Jolarren space in eighteen rotations."

Vel looked stern. "But you have been collecting specimens from planet 2175 AR2."

The Collector blinked all four of its eyes in surprise, then gave a whistling snort. "That planet is not in the Jolarren Collective."

"That planet is a Jolarren environmental sanctuary," Dalon put in, "home to many endangered species which are unique to that ecosystem. Harvesting from that planet without express written permission from the Collective is a treaty violation."

"2175 AR2 is unclaimed in public record," the Collector shot back.

"Your records are out of date," Jhanna said, folding her arms across her chest. "Have you actually landed on that planet?"

Xyr outer sets of eyes narrowed. "We do not land on primitive planets during study."

"Well, I have landed there. Almost ten years ago. Ambassador Vel will send you the updated records." Vel swiped at her tablet and the Collector's wrist comm pinged. Xyr eyes skittered back and forth as xe read the file. "You illegally removed an inhabitant of 2175 AR2, which, as you can see, has been an environmental sanctuary of the Collective for some time," Jhanna continued, "and we have proof that you were there." She pulled a sealed container out of her pack and held it up.

The Collector's pupils narrowed to slits as xe saw the dart xe had used to capture Leonardo. "The planet is not Significant. We have broken no treaties."

"Your species' use of the word 'Significant' has been troubling for some time," Dalon said with a frown, "but until now we have not had any evidence that it led to rights violations or abuse. But as of now the Jolarren Collective has evidence that you trespassed on a restricted planet, as well as kidnapping, torturing, and enslaving one of its inhabitants."

"The Jolarren Collective does not take treaty violations lightly," Vel added coldly. "The Collective demands that you release Hamato Leonardo, as well as any additional individuals or specimens from 2175 AR2 immediately. Furthermore, as ambassador, it is my duty to inform you that if at any time you enter Jolarren space, you will be subject to arrest and prosecution."

"They cannot enforce this," the collector snapped.

"I have three cruisers outside that say I can," Jhanna said stonily.

The Collector scoffed. "Their authority is not recognized in Kryosian space."

"Which is why we waited for you outside the planetary territorial radius," she shot back smoothly. Her face darkened in a forbidding scowl as she moved to stand beside Splinter. "You will release your prisoners immediately. I will not ask again."

The Collector's eyes were wide, the yellow mottling on xyr skin standing out sharply as xe hesitated, but the guards behind Jhanna and the others shifted their weight and Traximus snorted ominously, fogging his breathing mask, and the needle-teeth champed together in a rictus grin. "They will kindly follow us."

Xe led the way back to the door xe had entered through, but when the door slid open, xe jumped back with a startled screech that set Raph's teeth on edge and had the guards reaching for their weapons. But all of Raph's tension and worry left him in a rush as he saw Don and Angel standing just on the other side of the door, Mikey behind them supporting Leo in his arms.

Raph's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his brother and he pushed his way forward. Angel slipped aside to make room for him and he threw his good arm around Leonardo, pulling him into a fierce embrace. Leo fell against him and gripped him as tightly as his shaking limbs could manage. Raph's right arm in its sling was crushed between them and starting to hurt but he didn't care. He could feel tears threatening to spill over but he squeezed his eyes shut and just held on. Splinter joined him a heartbeat later, holding tight to both of them.

"Excellent timing," Jhanna was saying to Don, a trace of wry humor in her stern voice.

"Well, we've been on the other side of the door for a little while," Don answered with a shrug, "but you were on a roll and we didn't want to interrupt." He tossed his handheld device into the air and caught it again one-handed. "Since our host didn't relieve me of my belongings, I figured I'd save us all a step and deactivate the forcefield around the cage myself."

Leo drew back slightly in Raph's hold and rested a hand on the injured limb. What happened? he asked silently.

Raph immediately tensed. The collar was gone, but… "You - you still can't you talk?" Leo swallowed hard and shook his head. Without letting go of his brother, Raph rounded on the Collector and snarled, "What the shell did you do to him!?" The Collector merely narrowed all four of xyr eyes at him and didn't answer. Now that his initial burst of relief was fading, Raph was rapidly becoming aware that something was still very wrong with his brother. Leo was shivering uncontrollably despite the fact that his skin was hot to the touch, and stronger tremors coursed erratically through his body as he leaned against Raph. Most of his weight was being supported by Raph, now, and he knew if he let go, Leo's legs wouldn't be able to hold him.

Khavo stepped past the Collector, smiling gently down at both of them. "My name is Khavo," he said to Leo. "I'm a doctor. Don't worry, I'm here to help you." He turned to the Collector and said, remarkably less gently, "I need access to your medical facility and all records you have for Leonardo."

"We have no medical facility," came the sulky reply. "Only our research station."

"Then that's where we'll go." Khavo didn't leave the Collector room to argue.

Dread flashed over Leo's face before he schooled his face into a calm expression. The look was fleeting, but Raph saw it, and rage flared in his chest all over again because he knew whatever had happened in that lab had given his brother reason to be afraid. But he deliberately turned his back on the alien and tightened his hold on Leo, speaking softly in his ear. "It's okay, Fearless."

Leo took an unsteady breath and gave him a nod.

Mikey stepped up beside them, resting a hand on Raph's good shoulder while extending his other arm to Leo. "I can take him from here."

Raph reluctantly transferred Leo's weight into Mikey's arms. His protective instincts rebelled at letting go, but he only had one arm to help his brother walk, and the vicious burn was starting to grow in his injured arm once more. Splinter noticed his tension and put a tentative hand on his shoulder, but Raph shook his head and stepped away. "I'll be fine," he said quietly. Unlike before, when the pain had sidelined him, now it just made him more angry; he embraced the smoldering fury, keeping his eyes locked on the Collector as the group of them set off.

The Collector led them in a long, curving corridor around the outside of the menagerie hall, through a narrow connecting hallway, and then into an expansive room with a domed ceiling. The room was ringed with monitors and displays. Several small workbenches were spaced throughout the area, and a large, tall metal lab table was in the center of the room beneath several large, bright surgical lights.

Khavo pulled one of the chairs away from the nearest workbench and extended a hand to Leo. "Come, sit down and I'll take a look at you." He glanced at Raph. "You too, young man."

Raph sat next to Leo in a second chair. They were scaled to fit the collector and were too tall for their feet to touch the ground, but even Raph had to admit that sitting down was a good idea. The pain in his arm still served as a catalyst to keep him angry, but he was rapidly approaching the tipping point between anger and exhaustion.

Khavo turned to Leo first, slowly panning his medical scanner over him head to toe. When he looked up, his eyes were kind and his voice was calm. "I am sure you can tell that you are feverish. You have been exposed to foreign strains of bacteria that your immune system is not accustomed to fighting. Without medical care, you would have soon become dangerously ill, but fortunately the infection is at a stage that should be relatively straightforward for me to treat. You should be able to recover soon. What is more concerning to me is that I am detecting peripheral nerve damage. You are having loss of motor control in your extremities, yes?"

Leo nodded.

Khavo frowned thoughtfully. "Unfortunately I'm not sure why that is. The infection shouldn't be able to do that."

I was drugged, Leo said, gesturing to the bruises around his neck where the collar had repeatedly injected him. Every time, my head and down my spine would hurt for days afterward, and now the pain doesn't go away anymore. He held his hands out in front of him. They shook slightly for a moment before his left hand gave a spasmodic jerk and he lowered them to his lap once more.

Khavo's expression grew more serious as Don told him what Leo had said. He looked over at the Collector. "I need to see your files."

The Collector had clearly decided that arguing would get xem nowhere, so with a few reluctant taps on xyr tablet, an entire wall of the monitors lit with documents, charts, and diagrams of Leo. Full body x-rays were displayed along another wall.

Don's mouth was tight, but he stepped forward next to Khavo. "I'd like to look too."

Khavo looked down in pleased surprise. "Do you have medical knowledge as well?"

"Only by necessity." Don smiled thinly. "I'm more of a technology expert but I've picked up a passing knowledge of medicine and bioengineering over the years."

"Well, by all means, do join me. He is your brother, after all, and a second pair of eyes will always be helpful." His eyes flitted over the screen. "Well, xe's nothing if not thorough. There are very detailed notes here about the drug and its effects on you," he said over his shoulder. "From just a brief look, I do not believe the damage will be permanent. Peripheral nerves can regenerate, so you should regain normal function in time."

The doctor's evaluation did nothing to ease Raph's anger and worry - particularly because they now knew the Collector had been aware of what the drug was doing to Leo, but kept using it anyway - but he did appreciate that Khavo was speaking directly to Leo and not just about him. His brother had had enough of being treated as if he didn't matter. But just then, Don sucked in a sharp breath, and when Raph looked over at them he was alarmed to see Khavo's forbidding frown. The doctor and Don exchanged a glance before Khavo crossed back over to Leo, pulled out a penlight and a tongue depressor, and asked, "Could you please open your mouth for me?"

Leo shuddered - whether it was due to cold or dread, Raph wasn't sure - but he complied. Khavo gently used the tool to press Leo's tongue down and out of the way, peering intently into the back of his throat. All traces of friendliness were gone from his round face when he straightened up again, but his voice remained calm as he spoke to Leo. "The Collector has implanted new structures into your mouth and throat. There are retractable fangs behind your teeth, and small reservoirs of some sort of venom in the roof of your mouth. The fangs and venom sacs are controlled by using the innervation from your larynx and vocal chords, which is why you are incapable of speech." He shook his head grimly. "I'd call it ingenious if it weren't barbaric."

Leo looked pale but less surprised than expected, and Raph wondered if he'd had some suspicion of what happened. Can it be reversed? Khavo's brow furrowed a little as he watched Leo's lips move without comprehending.

"Can you fix it?" Mikey translated, voice tight with worry.

"Unfortunately I can't reverse what has been done," Khavo replied regretfully. "I don't even think specialists on the homeworld would have the knowledge to set it right. Though I would venture to guess that the Collector can."

"Of course we can," the Collector sniffed. "Our surgical practices are far above any of theirs."

"No way," Raph snarled. "You want this bastard to put their hands on Leo again? "

Khavo shrugged apologetically. "It is the only way I can see that his voice can be restored."

Splinter interjected, "It is Leonardo's choice." His voice was calm, but his sons all heard the well-controlled fury at the violation.

"Khavo, is there any information on what kind of venom?" Don broke in. "It…it'd be helpful to know if there's anything we can do for Raph's arm."

Leo had been frozen in place, staring fixedly at the Collector, but hearing Don's question made him flinch, and his face snapped towards Raph, looking stricken. What happened?

Raph sighed. "We had more than one plan to get you out," he said, keeping his voice low so it wouldn't carry. "Not all of 'em worked. Don't worry, it's fine."

Raph. Tell me.

The desperation and fear in his eyes made Raph give in, and as Don and Khavo scrolled through the Collector's files, he explained. "We decided I'd enter the tournament. The plan was that if you were matched with me, Traximus and I would get you out." Leo closed his eyes, already knowing where it was going. Raph rested his good hand against the back of Leo's head, gently pulling him in until their foreheads were touching. "It ain't your fault," he said softly. "Okay? I knew it was risky, but I had to take the chance. I know you understand." Leo's breath hitched slightly, but he nodded ever so slightly without moving away from Raph's gentle hold.

"Platypus!?" Don's surprised exclamation made everyone look over. "Where the shell did you get - you know what, that's not important. Well, that explains a few things." He rubbed the top of his head. "Platypus venom isn't lethal, but it's known to be excruciatingly painful. Even morphine can't touch it, and the effects can last for days to weeks - sometimes months. However…" He leaned forward and squinted at the screen. "Khavo can confirm this for me, but I think the Collector has an agent that can neutralize it."

Khavo nodded. "It appears so."

Raph had been determined to bear the pain as long as he had to, but he was relieved to learn that his injury could be treated. He was less glad when they discovered the storage vials and filtered needles that were needed to draw up and inject the neutralizing compound required syringes that were proportioned to fit the Collector's long, spidery fingers, and Khavo had nothing comparable to use in the medical supplies he'd brought. So even though everything in him rebelled against letting the alien touch him, Raph consented to sit still while the creature curled one hand around his left arm and held it steady while xe gave him a slow intravenous injection. Raph glared at the creature the entire time, and was gratified to see xem step hastily out of his reach when xe was finished.

"It looks like you can expect that to take effect within the next 24 hours," Khavo said to Raph. He turned to Leo, speaking quietly so the creature couldn't hear. "Listen, my lad. I know you're ill, and the idea of the Collector performing surgery on you again has got to be the last thing you want. No one will force you to go through with it, but I don't know of any other way to repair your vocal chords."

Leo swallowed convulsively. Leaning against him the way he was, Raph could feel him shaking, and he knew it wasn't just from fever chills. He'd called Leo "Fearless" for a long time, now; it was true, his brother was brave, but a lot of that bravery came from his willingness to push forward in spite of being afraid, and right now Leo was terrified.

Raph took Leo's cold hand in his. "Leo. Look at me," he said softly. There was a look of fear and dread in his eyes that Raph had never seen before, and it stoked his fury all over again, but for Leo's sake, it was easy to keep his voice low and calm. "This ain't fair. You shouldn't have to make this decision all of a sudden like this. But you've got to. If you don't want that son of a bitch to touch you, we won't let xem. We'll try to find another way to fix it. We might be able to. We might not. But you'll be safe, and you'll be home no matter what."

Despite his weakened grip, Leo held Raph's hand so tightly it began to ache. I have to do this, don't I?

"No," Raph rumbled. "You don't."

Despite his pallor, Leo looked determined and - Raph was secretly relieved to see - angry. I don't want to keep anything that thing did to me.

Raph gave a quiet nod. "Okay, then."

Leo schooled his features into the cold, impassive face he showed his enemies, took a slow deliberate breath and said, Let's get this over with. He hopped down from the chair, balance wavering, but managed to keep his feet. Traximus stepped forward to help him up onto the lab table.

The Collector stepped forward with a sour expression and started sorting through drawers. "We will begin shortly. They will wait outside."

"Fuck no," Raph growled. "You think we're leaving you alone with him? Not a chance." He slid down from the chair but before he could move forward, Mikey's hand on his chest stopped him. He looked at his brother with an angry snort but didn't fight against him.

Splinter was moving, though. Despite his small stature, he sprang up onto the table easily and took hold of Leonardo's hand. "I will be right beside you," he said gently.

Leo curled his fingers around his father's hand as best as he could, gesturing across the room with the other. Through that door, there's a trophy hall. There's a white pelt on display at the far end. He hesitated, deliberately calming himself before adding, There was another prisoner.

A spasm of pain crossed Splinter's face, but he nodded in understanding. "We will see that they are treated with honor."

The Collector's pupils flared and narrowed as xe glared at Splinter, but xyr gaze flickered between the guards, Traximus, and the other three turtles before something in xyr posture slumped, and xe offered no more objections.

Mikey's hand on Raph's chest switched from restraining to reassuring. "Sit down, Raph. None of us are going anywhere."

Raph hated everything about this. But at Mikey's gentle urging, he sat.

Angel slumped against the wall, bo propped across her knees, wrists hanging loosely over the weapon. Staying in the room with surgery happening thirty feet away was creepy, but Leo's family was staying so she sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to leave. She mostly kept her eyes averted, though - watching the tall, skinny alien bending over Leo's head turned something in her stomach, so she focused on keeping an eye on Raph and the others. From the tension in Raph's shoulders, she could tell that the nerve block was beginning to wear off, but he remained silent, unwilling to distract his father or clue the Collector in that he was hurting.

Splinter had stayed true to his word, remaining beside his unconscious son on the table, keeping hold of his hand. Khavo stood at the Collector's elbow, watching to serve as an extra safeguard.

Traximus and the guards stood watchfully around the perimeter, and Jhanna, Vel, and Dalon had been scrolling through a series of documents and treaties on the far side of the room. Funnily enough, the Collector seemed most agitated by the three of them. Which was disappointing - Angel seriously wanted to put the fear of God into the slimy yellow creep, but xe had hardly acknowledged her existence.

She scowled. The creature was actually humming to xemself as xe finished Leo's surgery. The procedure had taken a little over two hours - both to remove the implants, and to remove the translator chip that had been embedded in the skin on the back of Leo's neck - and even with her lack of medical knowledge, Angel could tell that it was almost done. Another moment more and the Collector set back, putting aside a pair of delicate, nauseatingly long hooked tools. "There. It is done," xe said, sounding bored and put-upon. "It will - " Splinter bristled, and xe hesitated. Xyr expression soured. "They will awaken shortly." And xe stepped away.

Angel stood and stretched, letting out a heavy sigh. The room had been quiet aside from the Collector's anesthetic monitors, but the tension - particularly from Leo's family - had been a tangible force, weighing on everyone. Now that the surgery was over, Angel felt the pressure ease, and she cast a hopeful glance over to Leo.

It wasn't long before the unconscious turtle began to stir. Splinter kept one hand wrapped around Leo's while placing the other hand gently on his forehead. "It is all right, my son," he said softly. "I am here."

Leo's voice was weak and thready, and Angel only heard him speak because she was listening so intently. He shifted slightly to look at Splinter, still disoriented and half-conscious, and whispered, "Otōsan."

Splinter's eyes were wet, but he stroked Leonardo's forehead again and smiled down at him, replying in the same language - the first language he'd learned, the first language he'd taught his children - as he answered, "Do not worry. You are safe, and we are going home."

Over by one of the worktables, the Collector's eyes widened and its head swiveled to look back at Leo with an intrigued grin. "It speaks another language?"

Nobody saw Raph move. One minute he was sitting next to Mikey, and in the blink of an eye the Collector went smashing down into the worktable, breaking it in half and sending equipment crashing to the ground. The Collector curled on the floor with one hand clutching the bruise on its face, wheezing from the blow to its midsection, black and yellow eyes bulging as Raph stood over it. Raph's teeth were bared, fists clenched, and Angel cheered to herself as she saw him take a step forward, forcing the alien to scrabble back on the ground to get away from him, intimidated even though Raphael still had his right arm in a sling.

"You don't get to talk about him," Raph snarled. "You don't get anything else from him. Stay the hell away from my brothers."

Fear, fury, and confusion mingled on the Collector's face as xyr eyes flitted between Raph and the others. "...away from its…souls?"

Angel blinked, perplexed, until her memory flashed back to a conversation with Don a few days before, as he'd elaborated on the translator technology.

"It's like a dictionary, sure," he'd said , "But it also reads…intent, for lack of a better term? Memory pathways, remember? So when you speak, the person listening to you might hear a direct one-to-one translation of the word you use, but they might hear a different word instead, one that reads your intent, if that would make the translation more accurate. It's fascinating, really, but I haven't had much opportunity to study it."

Angel's eyes prickled as she looked at Raphael. He'd said "brothers", but that hadn't been the word the Collector had heard.

Nobody else seemed to react to that - they were all watching Raph. Angel half expected Splinter to call him off…but his eyes were hard and cold, and he remained conspicuously silent. For another tense moment, Raph didn't move, but then he turned his back on the creature in disgust and stalked over to join Mikey and Don, leaving the Collector still huddled in a heap in the midst of broken furniture. Don spoke softly to him, checking the integrity of the sling.

Khavo still stood beside the lab table, watching Leo as he slowly awakened. "He is stable enough to move now," he said at last. "If you and your family are ready, we can leave at any time and he can finish recovering in our medical bay."

"Yes," Splinter answered quietly, still gazing down at his son. "Let us leave."