Hey everyone! So after several papers and college graduation, I am back with a whole new chapter for A Madman's Revenge! :D I am so sorry about the wait but I had so many real life things to do that I just needed to focus on so that I could go home. There's quite a bit of dialogue in this chapter but ultimately I'm pleased with the outcome. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this :)

Disclaimer: I still do not own TMNT. (Probably a good thing…)

-x-

Leonardo slowly felt himself return to consciousness, his muscles twitching as whatever sedatives had been keeping him still finally worked their way out of his system. Yawning loudly, he vaguely noticed that his throat was dry and it felt sore when he tried to swallow. Still in a half-awake state of consciousness, he muttered, "Need water."

His eyes still closed, he didn't need to open them until he reached his bedroom door at least. It was part of how he trained himself to be able to maneuver in complete darkness. He'd keep his eyes closed and walk around his room and even sometimes the dojo or rest of the lair. At first he would bump into things, much to Sensei's and Donnie's chagrin because he'd either break something or hurt someone (usually himself). But eventually he got to the point where he could do it in his room and dojo. The rest of the lair was a hit or miss because success was usually influenced by his brother's antics.

When he tried to move this time, he found his progress immediately halted by some form of restraint. Growing irritated at being caught in one of Mikey's pranks, he growled, "Michelangelo! I'm going to count to three. If you don't untie me by then, I'll let Raph have his way with you." He swore he could almost hear his baby brother's chuckle when he silently counted down in his head. '3…2…1…That's time!'

He opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar walls and ceiling of home. Instead, he found himself surrounded by a pristine whiteness that assaulted his still adjusting eyes. Blinking repeatedly, Leo's vision began to clear and a sense of dread settled in his stomach. 'Where am I? This isn't home. It's too bright. Where is every – '

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he spotted a familiar figure to his right strung up in chains. 'Donnie? No… No! This has to be a dream. This isn't real. C'mon Leo! WAKE UP!' Biting down on his lip, he let the sharp pain center him as he tasted the bitter and metallic blood that ran across his tongue. When he opened his eyes and found that he was still in the unfamiliarity, disappointment and reluctant acceptance filled him.

A small smirk formed on his face as he thought, 'Now I can say that I've officially been held prisoner. Just like Captain Ryan has.' For some small reason, the vague similarity gave him just the tiniest bit of courage. He let out a short laugh as he noticed that his situation was, even down to the way he was currently restrained, similar to the time the Aratrichons had captured his childhood hero before Captain Ryan boldly made his escape.

In that episode, Captain Ryan had managed to pull hard enough on the chains keeping his arms bound to the wall behind him. The metal the Aratrichons used were not as strong as steel, and the Captain had no trouble breaking free. An idea formed in Leo's head as he glanced at his arms that were elevated so they were level with his shoulders. Shrugging them, he decided that he might as well give it a shot.

A strange harness like contraption did make things rather interesting for him as he began focusing his strength in his arms. It was almost like the device could feed off of his energy, because no matter how much his muscles tensed in readiness he couldn't help but feel weak. At best his attempts to break the chains, which he could've sworn were of some metal that was stronger than steel for all the good his effort did him, were like that of a small child trying to get back a toy from a much taller bully. It was hopeless.

Sighing, he drooped his head onto his plastron in thought. As he began to mull over the earlier events, he realized that it was odd that his brother hadn't stirred yet. Donatello was a notoriously light sleeper, even more so than Master Splinter who seemed to be able to pull out of a meditative trance if he even caught a hushed whisper that promised trouble. Leo's attempts to pull free from the chains hadn't been so completely ineffective that they hadn't produced more than enough noise to wake his brother.

In earlier years, Leo had often used this to his advantage when it came to perfecting the stealth technique. Or as Leo called it: "Stealth Mode." Donnie had a habit of falling asleep in his lab, something he continues to do, but the scientist would always sleep with a pencil in his left hand. It took Leo more than four years of training to finally be able to sneak up on his sleeping brother, take the pencil and leave the lab without waking him. That was the day that Leo decided he had perfected the art of stealth and he remembered feeling like he had accomplished the greatest success he'd ever manage.

Under normal circumstances, Leo knew that Donnie would've woken up by now. And that worried him. The last thing he remembered was that he was offering to stay behind to buy time for his brothers to get April back home safely, and then Karai... "Did she drug us?" he wondered out loud. His head throbbed as he tried to remember exactly what happened that night. Although it wasn't clear and only came back in pieces, he was able to start piecing together what had happened earlier.

He remembered going to Murakami's for their regular visit. He remembered finding a distraught chef. He remembered going to the Bradford dojo. He remembered demanding that Karai return April to them unharmed. He remembered seeing April, his sister, in less than perfect condition. He remembered Donnie making a break for her, but he was surrounded by the Foot Clan. He remembered fighting Karai as she kept him separated from his brothers. And that was it.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening pulled him out of his thoughts and he narrowed his eyes warily when he spotted a familiar kunoichi approaching him. Trying to ignore the way his heart skipped, he spoke harshly, "What do you want, Karai?"

Karai hardly acknowledged Leo's question, preferring to stare at him in silence. A flicker of some emotion ran across her face before it was almost immediately concealed, giving her the expression of someone assigned a bothersome task. After having regarded him silently, she finally spoke, "You look different without your mask."

Leo blinked at her a few times before asking, "I'm sorry?"

Karai strode forward and leaned toward him, whispering, "Your mask. Are you telling me you haven't noticed? Some ninja you are."

He pondered that for a moment, letting her hint sink in. Now that she mentioned it, the area around his eyes felt very exposed. Leo's blue eyes hardened as he glared directly into hers, "What'd you do with it?" A long time ago, Sensei had told him that the mask symbolized honor. That's why ninja only unmasks themselves, it was a sign of disrespect for it to be done by another without permission.

For a brief moment, hurt flashed through her eyes and she forced out, "What makes you think I have anything to do with it?"

"Because I know you," Leo said without hesitation.

Karai flinched backward, her face unreadable as she stared at him with cold brown eyes. He met her gaze, keeping wary in case she struck while he was defenseless. He hated feeling this vulnerable. And he hated that she had to see him like this. Beaten. Disgraced.

"Leo? Where...?" a small voice suddenly broke the uneasy silence.

Forgetting all about Karai, Leo instantly turned toward his brother and began pouring out words as relief flowed through him, "Don! Oh thank goodness. Are you alright? You don't look like you've been hurt too badly. I -"

"I see Donnie is awake too." Karai interrupted stiffly, bringing Leo's and Donnie's attention directly toward her.

Donnie could only blink blearily as Leo demanded, "What happens now?"

Karai flicked her hair as her trademark smirk made its first appearance of the conversation, "It means I must report to my father. He has something...special in mind for the both of you."

Leo stared at her intently. He didn't like the sound of that. Anything that Shredder had planned for him and his brother would definitely not be pleasant. But he kept an indifferent expression. His pride refused to allow her to see just how much guilt and dread was settling in the pit of his stomach. Especially not her.

Just as she reached the door Karai spoke in a voice so quiet that Leo had to strain his ears to listen. "I had nothing to do with it." And then she left, leaving more questions than answers. Especially from Donatello.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," came his immediate response.

"What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet," he responded without a second thought.

"Do you think we're going to be okay?"

"I don't know." He was starting to feel exasperated with all the questions.

"Do you think April is going to be okay?" Donnie was starting to sound suspicious.

Leo hesitated for a moment before answering, "Of course she is."

"Leonardo!" Donnie snapped harshly.

"What?" Leo turned his attention away from the door he had been staring at since Karai left.

"You are a horrible liar, you know that?"

Leo grinned, "You're just too smart to see through them."

Donnie didn't seem to buy it as he spoke flatly, "Whatever you say, Leo."

A small moment of silence passed between them before Donnie sighed, "Answer me honestly, Leo. Do you really think April will be alright? I mean, you don't think that she...do you?"

Leo's blood began to boil as what Donnie was insinuating sank in. His tone was stiff as he replied, "I'm sure she'll be alright, Don. Raph and Mike wouldn't have let anything happen to her. And she's with Sensei. Besides that, she's a part of our family now. In case you haven't noticed, we are a family of ninja." Leo hoped that he sounded more convincing to Donnie than he sounded to himself because deep down, Leo wasn't all that sure April would be alright.

After all, this time April had been held captive by their human enemies. The Foot. It was completely different from when she was being held by the Kraang. And Leo bit his tongue when he considered the differences between humans and Kraang. Whereas the Kraang had her hooked up to a variety of machines and pipes, it was apparent that the Foot did other things to her. While the Kraang certainly weren't gracious hosts, they never marked her like the way she was when they saw her. All bruised and her clothing...it wasn't right and it reminded Leo of some of the many stories Sensei had told them when they were younger.

These stories involved everything from "humans will kidnap you" to "humans will experiment on you". At the time, Leo hadn't put much more consideration into those lessons besides chastising Mikey for attempting to go out and meet a real-life human in the middle of the night. After all, they were only stories. But now that he was the leader, he understood just what Master Splinter had meant. Just about everyone they had met since going topside had wanted a piece of them. He hated to let himself think about what would happen if he had failed to keep his brothers safe. He chastised himself for his naivety now. 'I failed my brothers. I have to think of something. Of some way to make this right. I have to protect Donnie.'

In a flash, an idea came to him that made his muscles tense in anticipation. He knew what he had to do. He'd have to keep Shredder's attention on him at all times. He'd have to buy enough time for Raph and Mikey to come save them. Leo began mentally preparing himself for the challenges he knew would be right ahead.

He was startled when a tingling sensation began in the back of his neck. With a deep breath, Leo understood somehow that Shredder would make his appearance soon. "Donatello," he heard his voice take on the authoritative tone that Mikey loved to call his 'leader voice', "I'm going to make sure Shredder doesn't lay a hand on you."

"Leo - "

"Whatever happens, do not say a word or interfere."

"But - "

"Well, turtles. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Shredder's menacing voice cut Donnie's protest off before he could finish.

Leo began to shiver as he felt the Shredder's cold dark stare focus on him. 'Stop shaking! Stop shaking! Stop shaking!' He yelled at himself, determined to get his fear back under control. He refused to give Shredder the pleasure of seeing him falter. He glanced over at Donnie's unsure expression, and found that his own fears were reflected in Donnie's brown eyes. 'I promised. I won't let Shredder lay a hand on my brother." He gave Shredder a smirk as he felt his courage return to him, which didn't seem to please the Head of the Foot Clan.

Shredder's eyes narrowed as he approached Leo, "Well Blue. I'm glad to see that you haven't lost your spirit."

Leo's heart raced when the Shredder leaned in to him, his nose just inches away from Leo's face. He suppressed a shudder that threatened to ripple its way through him. He held his tongue however. There was no reason to start any trouble since his plan to hold Shredder's attention was working for now.

"So where are the others?" Shredder asked curiously.

Leo's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, but otherwise he remained stoic. At least he appeared to be for those in the outside world. On the inside, his heart pounded heavily. Shredder was too close. Way too close.

"Answer the question, freak! Where are the others?!"

Out of the corner of Leo's eye he spotted Donnie watching him anxiously. While trying to reassure his brother through silent cues, Leo suddenly felt the hands grab him by the chin and he was forced to look into Shredder's face. He had never been this close to him before, and everything about it bothered him.

Shredder spat, "I won't tolerate being ignored by an abomination such as you! Now answer the question! Or I'll make you talk! And trust me when I say you won't like it."

Leo stared directly into Shredder's eyes, weighing the pros and cons of each choice carefully. On the one hand, if he remained silent he could potentially be putting Donnie's life in danger. If he spoke, then he could be putting the rest of his family in peril. Neither option seemed all that appealing, especially if he considered the possibility that Shredder wouldn't spare Donnie if he spoke. There was only one option. Make sure to seem like the bigger problem without answering Shredder's question. "Try me," he teased.

Much to Leo's surprise, Shredder grinned back at him and whispered, "Oh don't worry. I plan to."

Leo watched in wonder as Shredder withdrew a remote and…his mask? Anger settled in Leo's belly as he considered the sight before him. 'Karai gave it to him?! Like I was a trophy?! Something to be won?' He had never felt so betrayed before. The only time he could think of that came close was when they broke into the Worldwide Genome Project and she created the mutant Justin only to leave them to clean up after her.

Shredder's grin grew wider as Leo continued to stare at him in bewilderment. "I'm glad you recognize this" he held the blue cloth with Karai's tanto knife, waving it in front of Leo's face like a flag.

Leo glanced at the mask then back at Shredder's face and smirked, "I've been wondering where that was." He wasn't entirely sure, but something about the way the Shredder refrained from touching it disturbed him. The color was slightly off too. He didn't think his mask was always that particularly darker shade of blue.

"I am feeling generous, turtle. I will return this to you."

Leo stared at him in silence. This was unusual. A part of him was relieved that he'd have his mask back, but an even larger part of him was screaming that it was a trap. He never thought he'd be torn when it came to his mask that was as much a part of him as his beloved katana. He yearned for the familiar touch of fabric against his skin. But this whole situation felt off.

Apparently, Leo's silence was taken as acceptance because the Shredder instantly brought the mask closer to him. To Leo, it seemed like the Shredder himself was going to put it on him. Alarms went off in Leo's mind and his ninja instincts took over. He should definitely NOT allow this at any cost. His eyes glazed and he snapped at the Shredder's hand, barely missing as the man's reflexes saved him while both the cloth and tanto knife fell to the floor.

A slap across the cheek brought Leo back from the 'ninja high' and he found himself the center of attention. While he was thrilled that Shredder was ignoring Donnie for the most part, he wasn't so sure he enjoyed the murderous look that the armored man was giving him. His cheek stung, but that wasn't as big of a deal to him. He quickly glanced at Donnie who, judging from the look in his brown eyes, seemed to be at war with himself.

'Don't say a word' Leo mouthed, trying to help Donnie calm down by giving him an order to follow. It seemed to help his brother somewhat, but it didn't change the fact that his brother was at his limit of obedience. Leo was suddenly grateful that it wasn't Raph or Mikey who were in here with him. Both of them had the hardest time following Leo's orders, but Leo could almost always count on Donnie to follow his lead.

"YOU!" The Shredder's angry shout brought Leo's attention from his brother back to the obviously enraged Foot Master. Leo watched Shredder grab the remote and point it directly toward him as his deep voice growled, "You forget yourself, freak! No one gets away with attempting to bite the hand of Oroku Saki! NO ONE! Especially not an abomination like you!"

Leo swallowed nervously. This was definitely not good. He couldn't help his ninja instincts. They were too ingrained into him. They were just reflexive responses that were drilled into his head for as long as he could remember by his sensei. Since his arms were otherwise unavailable, he only had one way to defend himself. "Well, if you didn't want to be bitten you should've kept your hands away from me," he snapped.

An eerie calm settled over them. Shredder's face even mellowed out some, although Leo could still feel the fire that burned in his gaze. Leo blinked a few times as he realized he said that out loud. Dread settled into the pit of his stomach as the silence filled the room. 'Uh oh' was all he could think when the Shredder grinned, and pushed a button on the remote.

At once, a tingling sensation crept through him, starting from the tips of his fingers and toes before moving inward. Leo's eyes widened in alarm as it became more and more intense as the sensations converged in his torso. He had never experienced anything like this before, and at best the only way he could think to describe it was as if his entire body had fallen asleep and was being forced to wake up all at once.

His thoughts scrambled, Leo figured it must have something to do with the way the harness was working. But he couldn't be sure because it was difficult to think about anything except for the way his nerves were bombarding his brain with signals. He didn't know a lot about the way the nervous system worked, that was more Donnie's deal, but he knew enough to understand that the brain can only handle so many stimuli before it shuts down the less important functions. This bothered him immensely, and Leo tried to calm himself with deep breaths, but it didn't stop the panic that threatened to pull him under.

"What are you doing to him?!" Donnie's voice was filled with distress, and Leo cursed himself for losing his composure.

Shredder's gaze stayed fixed on Leo as he replied, "I'm going to teach him a lesson. No one refuses my generosity and gets away with it!"

Donnie scoffed, "What generosity? You've done nothing but –"

"Silence Donatello!" Leo interrupted his brother before Donnie could say anything that could bring him into the line of fire. He found that by mentally chanting he could maintain his level of focus even when his brain had trouble finding something more important than the sensory overload. 'Just keep Donnie safe. Keep him safe. Keep my little brother safe.'

"I see you have regained your tongue. How amusing. My men weren't able to speak for nearly ten minutes when I activated the devices on them. They would sputter for a while but when they regained their speech they'd say they were too overwhelmed by the needles stimulating their nerves to force words. And here you are able to speak within five minutes. Is it because you're a freak? Or is it because of your comrade?" Shredder mused darkly.

Leo didn't know how to answer that, not that he particularly wanted to. The tingling was dying down somewhat, but it was still hard to focus on anything else. He just knew that if he hadn't interrupted Donnie, then he would be in danger.

Without waiting for an answer, Shredder gestured toward the abandoned cloth on the floor, grinning sadistically as he commented, "If you don't want my hands anywhere near you, then you should put your own mask on."

If Leo had ominous feelings about the mask before, then they were multiplied here. This was just as wrong as the Shredder putting the mask on him. It didn't make sense, but he was decidedly against being reunited with the cloth. "No thank you. I appreciate the offer but –"

Leo stopped short when he realized the Shredder was freeing his arms. This was definitely strange, but if their captor was going to let them go, then Leo had an obligation to get his brother out. He'd have to move quickly. Shredder wasn't going to leave himself open for very long. 'I'll have to go for a knockout right off the bat. And hope that he isn't expecting it.' Leo bided his time until the Shredder was almost done with his second arm and he braced himself for what he would have to do. 'In 3…2…1…NOW!'

But nothing happened. Leo was dumbfounded. Why weren't his arms responding to him? 'C'mon arms! Move! This chance! No!' He stared at his arms, completely beside himself with despair. He failed, but he didn't know how. Then he heard a sinister laugh erupt from his enemy.

"Revel in your despair, mutant. Do you want to know just why your arms aren't working? Do you think I'm a fool? That'd I'd let the source of my misery and torment go free? Hah! You are at my complete mercy. See this?" he moved the remote back and forth in front of Leo, "This lets me control every muscle in your body. You can't do anything unless I allow it."

Leo didn't like the sound of that. His gaze rested on the cloth that lay in front of him and his stomach dropped to the floor. If what Shredder said was true, then Leo wouldn't be able to resist Shredder's desire for him to wear the mask, no matter how much Leo's instincts warned him.

The Shredder held the remote thoughtfully, as if pondering what buttons to press, before he growled, "However, I have since found something infinitely more entertaining than using this device. Here's the deal, turtle. Either you put the mask on willingly, or I will force you to kill your companion over there."

"You're bluffing!" Donnie shouted. "If you could force him to do anything you would just force him to put the mask on!" Leo met Donnie's frantic gaze and was taken aback by the pleading note in his voice, "Don't do it, Leo. It's a trap. You know it is. There has to be a way for you to fight against whatever control the harness imposes. That's why he's using me as leverage. You can fight it, Leo. I know you can!"

Leo hesitated. He knew it was a trap, but could he allow himself to think that Shredder, their father's sworn enemy, was only bluffing about the device? That there was a flaw to the design? That it doesn't work all the time? That there is a way to resist it? He couldn't be so sure. He had felt for himself the powerlessness in his muscles when he tried to swing at Shredder's face. Could he really risk his brother's safety on a chance? He knew the answer to that question before he considered it.

Clenching his fist, Leo muttered, "Very well, Shredder." He could feel his brother's disappointed gaze, but he ignored it. He could only hope Donnie would be able to forgive him for this one day.

Shredder grinned happily, and pressed a few buttons on the remote. "Just so you are aware, if you even so much as think of resisting the device's compulsion, it is set to give you a little incentive to behave. Now go ahead, you should be able to move your hands now," his dark voice was almost like a purr.

Leo breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he let the harness control his movements. He fell into a kneeling position and he felt himself reach for the cloth in front of him, shoving the tanto knife aside. Fear gripped him with its icy claws just before he made contact with his mask. 'Do it for Donnie! Don't push Shredder! You promised to protect him, didn't you? You gave your word Shredder wouldn't lay a hand on him!'

Leo forced himself to grab the mask. He was both surprised and unimpressed when he felt the slightly damp cloth in his hands. He wasn't exactly expecting the material to irritate the skin on his fingers the way it was, but he had been expecting something to go awry. He just wished that it didn't have to be so symbolic. 'He must want me to realize that I have no dignity here.'

Drawing in a deep breath for strength, Leo exhaled sharply the instant he tied the cloth around his face. Tears formed in his eyes as he became aware of the burning agony that overwhelmed him. Panting, he fell forward, clenching his fists repeatedly as he desperately wanted to paw at his face. 'Damned harness!' he thought bitterly as he realized he was currently unable to move his arms freely. 'This is why I hate technology!'

While lying on the floor, Leo vaguely noticed that Shredder had approached him and the scene now had the appearance of a beaten dog groveling at its master's feet. Disgusted, Leo mentally prayed that his brother was not watching. It was bad enough that Donnie had to watch him put on the mask, but he didn't want his brother to see him groveling at the feet of their captor too.

When Shredder knelt down beside him, Leo's heart leaped to his chest. Shame burned him as the Shredder's hand fiddled with his mask. At every minute shift, a new wave of pain coursed through him and Leo's eyes threatened to spill over. Fortunately, Leo had enough stubborn pride not to allow this man to see him shed tears but it didn't change the fact Leo was helpless like this. Stuck laying on his plastron and unable to defend himself, Leo had no choice but to lay there while the Shredder tormented him in this way.

Suddenly, the Shredder removed his hand from his mask and Leo let out a relieved sigh. His eyes were still stinging, but he knew that he'd eventually not feel it anymore. When he heard the familiar sound of the Shredder's hidden blade sliding out of his gauntlet he tried to override whatever 'commands' were keeping him still, but to his dismay he found himself succumbing to shock. 'That's…just…great…' he thought blearily.

"Stop! Don't hurt him anymore," Donnie cried out from his restraints.

"What did you just say, purple? Do you think you are in any position to be making demands of me? I have taken your leader. I gave him the choice to save himself or to save you because I'm a kind man. He chose to save you because, obviously, you aren't as strong as he is. I can respect that. But if you start thinking that because I've let you be that you are free to speak as you wish," Shredder took a threatening step toward Donnie, "then you are sorely mistaken."

"You are a 'kind' man?" Donnie asked quizzically. He grinned sardonically as he spat, "Hah! You've been anything but! You're a coward!"

"You try my patience, purple," Shredder muttered darkly.

"You hurt my brother! And no one gets away with that!"

"YOU would preach to ME about inflicting pain?!" Shredder roared and thundered angrily toward Donnie, who seemed surprised at this sudden turn of events.

Leo watched the unfolding scene with wide eyes, cursing himself for not being able to rush in and defend his brother. He had to think of something quickly or else Donnie would… Forcing back the black tide, Leo growled, "Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on my brother, Oroku Saki!"

When Shredder turned back to face him, Leo noticed that the madman was wearing a crazed expression on his face. His protective instincts blazing brightly, Leo continued, "You got what you wanted. Now let him go."

After a few moments, Shredder unleashed a booming laugh that sent chills down Leo's spine. "I haven't yet, blue. Trust me on that. I want so much more than you can possibly imagine. This was just the first step. But that will have to wait for later. I'll come back tomorrow to play with you turtles. For now I'll just leave you both right where you are."

Leo watched warily as the Shredder strode back to where the remote lay on the floor beside the tanto knife and picked both objects up. "Will you behave yourself, blue? Or do I need to use this?" Then gesturing to Donnie he continued, "You wouldn't make me threaten your companion again, would you?"

Leo narrowed his eyes in response, too tired to speak. He was so exhausted, and the darkness was closing in on him again.

"Good boy. I'll be back in the morning. You better appreciate my generosity. If I find that you tried to escape, you will definitely regret it." And with that last remark, Shredder left, taking the objects with him.

When the door clicked shut and locked, Leo asked in a hushed voice, "You okay, Don?"

"I'm fine Leo. But what about you? Are you going to be okay?" Donnie whispered back, his anxiety palpable in the air.

"Sure I will Don. Just…need…s…ome…" Leo succumbed to the soothing blackness, vaguely hearing someone call his name as the outside world disappeared.

"LEO!"

-x-

So this is my longest chapter…EVER (5,496 words) but it's been a while since I last updated so I hope you guys don't mind the longer chapter. Either way let me know what you guys think! :D Love you all!

-Ariane