Author's Notes: Hi peoples! Nice seeing you all again. Three reviews in two weeks. . . Could be worse I guess. Could be better too. I mean seriously, my own sisters didn't even review this! xD Oh well, I promised my sisters, my friends, and myself that I will see this story through to the end. Anyways, I just want to say, sorry this chapter is so short compared to chapter one. Originally I had wanted it to be longer, but I had given myself a deadline of two weeks to publish the second chapter (played around with my one-shots for the first week before finally getting to writing this) and Michelangelo refused to work with me. Every move I made, he was arguing with me! I expected this sort of behavior from Raphael, a bit of misunderstanding from Donatello, and even actual threats against my person from Leonardo, but never did I expect happy-go-lucky little Mikey to fight me tooth and nail in this. Plus, second chapters seriously suck eggs to write. . . Anyway, see you sometime in the next two weeks! Meanwhile, here is Dark Tunnels – Chapter Two: Tight Grips Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or anything related to them in any way. Just ask Leo! *glances over at the pile of rocks that are currently burying him* How ya doing down there, love?

*muffled grumble from under the rocks*

Don't worry, I'm sure Don and Raph will get you out of there. . . Eventually. . .

Chapter Two: Tight Grips

Michelangelo held the phone tight to his ear like a lifeline as his father's calm voice spoke through the speaker, soothing his panic.

"Do not worry, my son. All will be well. Tell me your location. I will assist you and your brothers in aiding Leonardo."

"No no, Master Splinter, it's okay. Donnie said it's best if you stay in the lair." Now I'm comforting Splinter, he thought to himself as he convinced his father to stay at home. If it wasn't for me freaking out after that second 'shake, rattle and roll' he wouldn't've been halfway out the door.

Saying his goodbyes and a final assurance to be home soon as they can, Mikey closed his Shell Cell and tucked it back into his belt; pulling his flashlight out in return. He'd called April first, explaining in rushed detail, giving her the list Don had told him; then called Master Splinter to relay Donnie's message to him as well. It was halfway through that call that Mike had heard the sounds of a second cave in, and his panic sky-rocketed once more.

With a sigh, Mikey started back down the tunnel towards his brothers. He'd been gone longer than he had thought he would, having to go rather far up the tunnel so the signal could be reached.

He soon came to a floor-to-ceiling wall of piled rock. But, wait . . . that was a little too soon. He had only returned about half the distance he had gone before. This isn't where my brothers are! Mikey thought. Then he remembered the second tremor. The tunnel must have collapsed here as well.

Standing before the mountainous rock mound, he was just beginning to contemplate clearing a space and climbing through, when something shifted on the edge of his vision.

He turned his flashlight's beam at where the movement had been just a split second ago. Nothing.

Then another flicker of movement seen from the corner of his eye. He whirled around in time to catch a glimpse of a shadow.

He backed up until his shell brushed against the rubble barrier, causing him to jump forward, turning about again. That was a mistake. The shifting shadows, for there were indeed more than one, began to encircle him. Surround him.

Fixing his light on one of them, Mikey shrieked at what he saw.

A solidless form of flickering darkness, roughly the shape of a man. But it gave off a feeling of almost-nothing. Like it wasn't really there. Or rather, that it shouldn't be there, but it was.

The shadows began to circle him, and then seemed to melt into the ground. Pointing his light downward, he saw the dark forms start to swirl around his feet. Faster and faster.

He let out a final ear-piercing girlish shriek before being pulled down into the black whirlpool.

***Diversus Visum***

It took seconds before Donatello was able to snap himself out of his second frozen state in the last half hour. He ran to the rocks that hid his oldest brother from view, making a mental note to watch for any more moments of frozen fear.

He dropped to his knees, franticly scrabbling at the fist-sized chunks of stone, quickly uncovering the arm that connected that green hand to Leo's body. Raph continued to dig away at where they now knew their brother was, as Don checked for a pulse. Weak, but steady.

"He's alive." The relief in his voice was nearly palpable.

"Great. Help me get him out," Raph replied, his voice gruff with worry rather than anger.

After another minute of digging, shifting and shoving the stone off their blue-banded brother, Leo's entire upper body was uncovered. As Raph began on freeing Leo's legs, Don was checking for injuries.

Leo was semi-conscious, mumbling incoherently. Definite concussion, Don thought as he felt the large knot on the back of his brother's head. But just a mild one if he is still conscious. Good, last thing he needs is to slip into another coma.

"Hey Leo," Don spoke softly, gently urging Leo to respond as he continued checking for more injuries. "Come on, bro, I need you to focus."

As if in answer, Leo's mumbles became clearer, and Don was just able to make out what he was saying. "Don . . . nie . . . R-ra . . . ph . . . Mi . . . ey . . ."

"Yeah, bro. I'm here," Don soothed. "It's okay, everything is –"

But it seemed Leo couldn't hear Don's words. "Mi'ey . . . Raph . . . D-donnie . . . calling . . . Mikey . . . Donnie . . . calling me . . . Raph . . . Mikey . . . tunnel . . . Don . . . must. . . can't . . ."

"It's no use Raph, he is in a complete daze," Donatello announced, turning to his temperamental brother who was still busy at work trying to free the young leader.

"What's wrong with him?" Raphael grunted.

"Slight concussion is making him a bit delirious, left shoulder is dislocated, multiple cracked ribs but I can't tell the full extent of those without an x-ray, no internal bleeding that I can tell, breathing labored and pulse weak, but overall not something to worry about. A few bruises and abrasions. . . Oh geez, where is this blood coming from . . . ?" Don stopped his rant to find the source of the small amount of blood pooling on the stone. Breathing a sigh of relief at what he found, he stated to his now worry-faced brother, "Don't worry, just a gash on his side. Long, but not deep. Won't even need stitches; just a wrap."

"So can we move him?" Don could hear relief in Raphael's voice too. The red-banded turtle pointed to the boulder pinning Leo's legs and lower torso. "I can't move this, but I can lift it enough fer you to pull him out."

Nodding in agreement, Don gently gripped his trapped brother around the chest, mindful of his dislocated shoulder and cracked ribs. He signaled to Raph. "Okay, on three. One . . . two . . . three."

Raph yanked up on the stone managing to lift it a few inches clear of the injured turtle, grunting in exertion. Don immediately began dragging Leo out from under the rock, only to stop dead in his tracks when said turtle cried out in pain, his mumbles becoming more panicked.

"What's . . . the hold up?" Raph growled through clenched teeth, still holding the obviously quite heavy stone.

"I-I don't know!" Don stuttered. "I think I hurt him somehow. Leo? Leo, can you tell me where it hurts?"

"No no no no. . . Don. Mike. Raph. Gotta . . . I gotta . . . have to . . . move . . . Have to get up. . . Hurts. . . Can't. . ."

Whatever injury that was causing his brother pain couldn't be treated while he was still pinned beneath the rock and he had to move him quick before Raphael lost his grip. Heaving a great sigh, Donatello came to a decision. "Sorry bro," he whispered into the mumbler's ear as he readjusted his grip on Leo.

Leo let out another pain filled cry, this time fading out into a strangled whimper as Donnie pulled him the rest of the way out of the cave-in. Raph dropped his load with a muffled crash that thankfully only sent dust falling from the ceiling.

"Oh God. Oh no," Don muttered in frantic horror.

Raph dropped to his knees beside his two brothers. "What izit? Whatsa matter, Brainiac?"

Don had Leo lying on his side, examining his carapace. "He . . . There's . . ." He stumbled to find words. Don locked his gaze with Raph's. "He has a crack in his shell. There's blood. . . Raph, it's split across his spine."

Futurus persevero . . .

[To be continued . . .]

Author's Notes: See what I mean about second chapters? And I wrote this thing so quickly; I hardly had time to go over for mistakes! That is sooo unlike me. I am a perfectionist in my writing. Hope I didn't leave too many typos here. . . And then after all that, I am still ten minutes past my deadline! Oh well. . . Chapter three will be better, I promise!

Guys, please, feed the hungry author? Reviews, questions, suggestions, flames, whatever, just let me know you're there. I could use some suggestions for this story. I have the next few chapters mapped out in my head, but overall, the entire back end is lost from sight. I take everyone's suggestions into account.

And let me just say, I kind of freaked myself out a bit while writing Mikey's scene. . . Maybe that's why he was fighting me so hard! xD

-TheOneThatGotAway99