Sorry for another late upload. My home Internet is still a mess. The good news is: I got a new laptop. My old one was total loss... apparently. Anyway, this means that I can write anytime I want and upload whenever no one else here is using Internet. Hopefully, I can now post the following chapters a lot more frequently. Thanks again for your patience, everyone!


"Intruder alert. All the guards to the first floor. I repeat: all the guards to the first floor."

"What's all this about?!"

"I'm sorry, Boss. Apparently there are five intruders, of which four in strange costumes and abnormally strong. We fear they are after you, Sir."

"Take care of it. Kill them if necessary. I will have my revenge. I've waited too long for this."

The guard hesitated. His job was to stay on guard at the torture chamber.

"What the hell are you waiting for?!" yelled Alaxio. "GO!!"

The guard nodded and ran for the first floor.

Dianthe, thought Alexio. Finally, after 20 long years, I get to see you suffer. A wide smirk appeared on his face. And suffer you will.

******

Another guard was thrown onto the small pile of knocked-out men in black suits.

"Heh, they call themselves guards?" chuckled Raphael.

"There's too many of them," said Leonardo, pinning one of the guards to the wall using his katanas and punching him knock-out.

"And they just keep comin'!" said Michelangelo. "There's like, no end!"

Some of the guards pointed their guns at the Turtles, careful not to hit their colleagues, but none of them could manage to hit the Turtles, either. They used their weapons to shield themselves from the bullets by spinning them around at a fast pace.

April screamed as another guard held her in a firm grip.

"April!" Donatello knocked a few more guards out with his bo as he ran to save April.

"Spread out!" commanded Leonardo. "If we surround them, we can launch one of our combination attacks!"

"Got it," said Michelangelo.

"Just second, guys," said Donatello, landing a sharp punch on the chin of the man who was holding April. He let go of her immediately and landed on the floor.

"Everyone ready?" asked Leonardo when he had reached the end of the crowd.

"All set."

"Ready."

"Same here."

"Ok then," said Leonardo. "Press Pass Technique #3!"

April kept her distance as the four Turtles worked away one guard after another. The gun-holding guards were the first victims of their technique, their weapons knocked out of their hands before they got knocked out themselves.

She remembered how they came up with this strategy. Three years ago, a remaining group of Foot-ninjas had planned an ambush on the Turtles in order to avenge the companions who had not survived their fights against the mutants. There were too many of them. When things started to look bad, April, who was stuck in the strong grip of a Foot-soldier, suggested an attack from the outside of the crowd. And it had worked. When it was over, Leonardo said this technique could be very useful. Since it was originally April's idea, Michelangelo came up with the name "Press Pass". It was strong, catchy and enemies couldn't make up the strategy from its name.

Finally, after what seemed to be taking ages, the Turtles allowed themselves to rest on top of some of the guards. Not one of the men was anywhere near consciousness.

Michelangelo looked around. "Well, after what we've done to this place," he said, slightly panting, "they should redecorate, huh?"

"It's like one of those horror movies," said Raphael. "'It Came From Down The Sewers'. Wouldn't that be something."

"We should keep on moving," said Donatello. "The longer we wait…"

"We need a few minutes to regain some strength," said Leonardo. "We just fought…" he looked around, "a few hundred men. Who knows what lies ahead of us."

"Well, they know we're here already," said Michelangelo.

"And whose fault is that?" said Raphael.

"Sorry, dude," said Michelangelo. "But that mask was really itchy. Not even highly trained ninjas like us could wear it for so long. It was drivin' me crazy."

Donatello sighed and sat down on the floor. Leonardo, sitting next to him, put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"She's gonna be fine, Donatello," he said. "We'll find her."

"I know we will," said Donatello. "But I can't help but feeling something's wrong."

"You're worried," said Leonardo. "We all are. But we've got to be strong. We're not leaving without her, that's for sure."

"Well said," said an unfamiliar voice. The Turtles reacted instinctively, stood up and drew their weapons in a flash. But just as quickly, they were surrounded by another few dozen men, pointing just as many guns at them. The only unarmed man stepped forward.

"Because you're not leaving," he said. "You'd better surrender. Even you can't do anything in your position."

Leonardo looked around, then lowered his weapons. "He's right," he said to his brothers. "Let's do what he says."

"Leonardo…"

"There's a time to fight and a time not to," said Leonardo, repeating his former master's words. He dropped his katanas. Donatello looked at him, at the katanas lying by his brother's feet, and back at him. Leonardo looked into his eyes. The look in his eyes was firm. He knew what he was doing. Donatello looked at his bo, and gently lay it on the floor as well. Raphael sighed and dropped his sais. Michelangelo followed his brothers' example.

"Good," said the man. "Now you're going to tell me who… or rather, what you are and what you're doing here. You don't want to get blown out of those… shells, do you?"

******

Alexio grunted as he put his cell phone back in his pocket.

"Friggin' ridiculous," he mumbled. "I need new guards…" He turned around and looked at Naomi. Her limbs slightly trembling with tension, the sweat coming off her face, the scared look in her eyes and her attempts to cover all that, made him forget his anger instantly. He smirked and came closer to her.

"This new you is not so brave, huh?" he said. As he came closer to her, Naomi was trembling more and more. With the tips of his fingers, he stroke her cheek. Naomi froze.

"Pity," he said. "I could've used someone like you."

He felt a warm liquid on his fingertips, which were still touching Naomi's cheek. A tear had escaped one of her eyes. He looked at the salty water, somewhat surprised.

"Crying already?" he asked. "You're even weaker than I thought. Not that I don't like seeing you like this. On the contrary…" His face drew closer to her ear and he whispered: "… I like it. I like it a lot." He gave her a small pack on the ear. Naomi flinched.

"You're crazy," said Naomi. Her voice sounded hoarse. She looked around. "Just how many people have you…"

"Not many," said Alexio. "Hmm… they should really clean this place up a little." He looked back at Naomi. "As for you…" He picked up a scalpel from a table. "I'll start small." He gently took the collar of her vest with his free hand. He gave it a good pull and opened her vest in one movement without any button getting pulled off.

Naomi yelped. "What… what're you doing?!"

"Nice… bra," said Alexio. He looked at the moss green bra that said: 'Girl's territory- no trespassing'. He laughed. "And you're calling me crazy?!"

Naomi's breathing became heavier. The cold touching the skin revealed by her open vest felt like heavy weight being pushed against her, pushing the air out of her lungs.

"Don't worry," said Alexio. "I'm not intending to rape you."

"Now that's a great relief," said Naomi sarcastically. Her trembling body was not exactly helping her to try and act brave.

Alexio just laughed for a brief moment before he laid a big hand right below her throat. Naomi flinched again. She squirmed, desperate to break free.

"No, no…"

"Seeing you like this after those noble words back then," said Alexio, pointing the scalpel at her chest, "… is very entertaining." He pinned her to the wall with his other hand and slowly drove the small blade into the middle of her chest.

Naomi screamed. She felt the cold iron go through the thin layer of skin and touch the sternum, going lower and lower. Never before had she felt so much pain. Breathing had never been so painful.

Alexio withdrew the scalpel and looked at the narrow line of a dark red he had created.

"Do you know why I'm doing this on this particular area?" he asked. Naomi closed her eyes, her breathing short without too much movement. Tears were pouring out of her eyes.

Alexio smirked. "Breathing," he explained. "Something you do all day. Your chest goes up and down all day. Now by breathing, you'll tear this small cut more and more open. You can't stop it. Unless you stop breathing, of course. Tell me…" He put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Does it hurt?"

Naomi squirmed again, shaking her head out of his hand.

Alexio laughed. "If you think this is painful, just you wait," he said. "I'm planning to make you suffer at least 10 times as much."


I really don't know what a scalpel directly on your bones feels like, but I just assume it's pretty painful. =P

Thanks again for reading. Please look forward to the next chapter ^^

P.S. If you see any mistakes in grammar or anything, please do let me know by sending me a message or by simply reviewing this chapter. I'm intending to improve my English. Thank you in advance ^^ Bye bye!