A/N: Is anyone still interested in this story? I hope so 'cause I'm going to finish it anyway. There are some inuendos to the Static Shock show in this chapter so if you get lost just let me know and I'll clear things up. I tried to explain things so you wouldn't get lost, hope I did ok. Enjoy!!
Chapter 9
The brothers stepped out of the elevator into a stark white hall way. Michelangelo was still recovering from his earlier shock and was unprepared for the not-so-gentle shove from behind and stumbled forward where he bumped into another Foot soldier. He turned around. Without a word he pushed the turtle back into the first Ninja, triggering another jolt.
Mikey gasped as the pain hit and he didn't even notice falling to his knees. The shock lasted longer this time and by the look on Mikey's face, the pain had intensified. Raph was furious. He knew they had done this on purpose.
"Watch it pal." Raph threatened.
"Or what?" The Ninja replied.
With a low growl, Raph kicked the Ninja in the stomach causing him to crash into the other offender.
"We'll have no more of that." Another guard said as he and two others grabbed for Raph, Don and Leo, purposely setting of the restraints. All three dropped to the floor from the pain the electricity caused.
"This is too much fun," One guard said to another, "but we should get them to their cell."
When the shock was over, the recovering turtles were hauled to their feet and led down the hallway. Knob less doors lined both sides. The precession stopped about halfway down and a Ninja placed his bare palm on a panel beside the door. It flashed green and the door opened.
"Get in." He said.
Without any other choice, they complied. Raph stepped in first followed by Donnie, then Mikey. When Leo got to the threshold a katana blocked his way and he was yanked back by his shell.
"Not you blue boy" the ninja who opened the door said. "You have a reservation upstairs."
Raph, Don and Mikey started at this, surprise on their faces. They had expected Shredder to come calling for their blue banded brother, but not this soon. They all knew that if they were separated now, it would make it more difficult to come up with an escape plan. Mikey, being who he was, stepped forward so he had one foot in and one foot out of the room.
"Come on dudes, I'm sure Ol' Chrome Dome can-" He was cut off when the lead Ninja grabbed his throat and rammed up against the door jam.
"No one insults the Master!" He growls as he squeezes the turtles' throat, cutting off his air supply.
Raph and Donnie automatically moved forward to help their little brother, but the Foot soldier tightened his hold in response. The message was received and they stopped, but didn't back off. Mikey was coughing and gasping, struggling for air.
"Sir" Said another ninja, with a hint of warning in his tone.
"Lucky for you freak" he said to a gagging Mikey, "that Master Shredder has plans for you or else I would have enjoyed squeezing the life out of you." He tossed Mikey inside and the door closed automatically.
He turned to face a glaring Leonardo, "That wasn't necessary." Leo said.
"But it was fun!" Replied the Ninja as he led Leo away. Through the small window on the door Leo caught sight of the sparks emanating from Michelangelo's bindings, indicating another shock. He didn't get to see if is brother was ok or not. He could only hope that he would see his brothers again.
IIIIIIIIII
Raph and Don were to busy making sure that Mikey was ok to worry too much about Leo, though it was still in the back of their minds. The rough way in which Mikey was thrown into the room caused him to hit the floor hard. That alone was enough to set off another jolt, but the movement caused by the coughing and gasping for air that follows being nearly strangled to death made the shock last longer than it should have. Mikey went rigid, his eyes screwed shut in pain. Donnie wanted desperately to help his brother but him and Raph could do nothing but wait because of their own restraints. It seemed like an eternity before the sparks faded. When it ended, Mikey laid still, his face still scrunched in pain, but he was breathing even if it was still interrupted by the occasional cough.
"Don?" Raph didn't have to elaborate for Donnie to know what he was asking.
"He should be ok Raph. There will probably be bruising around the throat and it will be very sore for a while, but I don't think any permanent damage was done." Don said.
"What 'bout all the shocks?"
"Those I'm worried about." A questioning look from Raph told Donnie to continue.
"The shocks increase every time right? So if he keeps getting shocked without out much recovery time in between, his body won't be able to handle it."
"Damn, Mikey. Ya jus' had ta open yer big mouth didn'tcha?" Raph whispered, remorse mixed in with is usual gruffness.
"I plead temporary insanity due to mind numbing pain. Besides how was I supposed to know that Mr. Kill Joy would turn psycho on me?" Mikey's voice was soft and a little raspy but Don and Raph were glad to her it none the less. The small smile that played on his lips, also helped to reassure them that he would be ok. Mikey groaned as he got into a sitting position, he ached all over.
"Easy Mikey, how are you feeling?" Donnie asked, concerned at how pale his brother looked and the bruise starting to form on his neck.
Mikey coughed once before answering, "I'm good. Just a little sore, but getting these things off would make me feel loads better." He replied.
"Plus it would make it a shell of a lot easier to fight our way outta here. How 'bout it Donnie? Can ya do it?" Raph asked.
Donnie didn't miss Raph's anxious glance towards their recuperating brother. Donnie sighed,
"Raph I-" Donnie began but the door opening attracted their attentions.
Before anyone could react, someone was tossed in and the door slammed shut. As the newcomer stood up, the turtles recognized him. It was Gear. He had been roughed up a little, but otherwise he looked to be unharmed. He locked eyes with them and Raph let out a deep growl as he stormed towards the traitor.
IIIIIIIIII
They had reached Saki's private inner chambers walking in silence. Leonardo was escorted to the center where of four torches burned bright, bathing the rest of the room in darkness. He was forced to his knees. From the shadows, He appeared saying,
"In the future, you should choose your allies more carefully."
The Shredder's condescending tone angered Leo and he narrowed his eyes at his captor.
"Of course, your future is limited."
Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the common threat and responded the same way he always did,
"What do you want Shredder?" Even though he couldn't see it, Leo was sure that Shredder was sneering underneath his mask.
"What I want is finally at hand. I have you and your brothers in my clutches and after I get rid of you, your rat master will be easy pickings. With the five of you gone, no one will be left to stop me from becoming the dominating force on this pathetic planet. My ultimate goal of annihilating my greatest enemies the Utroms is finally at my finger tips. All I have to do now is tighten my grip and squeeze the life out of them!"
Leonardo couldn't remain silent any longer,
"There are others who know of you and your schemes."
"Your pathetic human friends, Casey Jones and April O'Neil? They could never stop me."
"No, not them, though you greatly under estimate their resourcefulness. Unlike you, the people I speak of have power, but they don't hold it over anyone and they don't gain loyalty through intimidation of fear like you have to. That is true power."
"That was a pleasant sermon Leonardo, but my power is inescapable." The Shredder snapped his fingers.
At his signal, a curtain behind him was pulled aside. The Shredder stepped to one side revealing something Leo had definitely not expected. Batman and Robin were hanging by chains secured at their wrists and gags were covering their mouths.
"I knew Gear would tell you of our deal, it was my plan all along, but I was surprised to find that he had such…infamous friends." Shredder explained. "Of course they were no match for my Foot Tech Ninja."
Leo kept an outward appearance of defiance, but on the inside he felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. This whole venture was dependant on back up. The same back-up that was now hanging in chains as the Shredders prisoners. For the first time, Leo didn't know if he could get him and his brothers out of this alive. He felt defeated.
From the eyes looking at him from underneath Batmans mask, Leo could see the regret at this failure. But regret shown in Leo's eyes too. Regret of bringing more people into their feud with the Foot Clan and now they will suffer at the hands of the Shredder all because of them.
Leo switched his gaze back to the Shredder,
"What are you going to do with them?" He asked.
"They are no longer your concern." He said menacingly. "As for you and your meddlesome family, I have come to realize that you mutant freaks may be more use to me alive. For now."
Shredder again snapped his fingers and Leo was pulled to his feet and was being escorted away, but just as he reached the doors the metal coils encircling his arms and torso retracted into a small devise. Leo used his guards' surprise to his advantage and struck one in the nose with his elbow. Using the same arm, he struck the other with a punch to the face, both hits knocked their targets to the floor and out cold. Unfortunately that was as far as Leo got. There had to have been ninja hiding in the shadows because before Leo could make a dash for the doors several ninjas were on top of him. Even though he knew it was futile, Leo fought to get them off with all he had, but in the end they triumphed in securing his hands behind his shell.
"Take him and check on the others. If his bonds failed then it is likely theirs did as well." The Shredder commanded.
Leo was surrounded by Foot soldiers as he was encouraged to move. As they were leaving, the Shredder gave another order,
"Subdue them with whatever force necessary. I do not need all four alive!" The Shredder's threat was clear and Leo gave no resistance as he was urged forward.
After the prisoner was taken care of, a figure stepped out of the shadows to stand beside the Shredder.
"And what of these two Master?" Karai asked.
"I am confident that Stockman can find a use for them." With a bow Karai left to fulfill her orders and deliver the Dynamic Duo to the scientist.
IIIIIIIIII
Even though his hands and arms wee incapacitated, Richie still found Raphael intimidating. He supposed that the ninja could still do real damage, but he didn't wish to test that hypothesis. Before the red-banded turtle got too close to do any harm, Don stepped between them. The look on his hot-tempered brothers face was told him that his brother meant business.
"Outta the way Don." Raph growled, "I'm gonna pound 'im!"
"Raph wait," Donnie pleaded, "There are no cameras or listening devises, I've checked, so there's no need to carry on with the act."
"I ain't actin.' "
During their conversation, Richie spotted Mikey struggling to stand up off to the side of the two arguing turtles. With a nervous glance towards Raph, he went to Mikey's aid and helped him into a kneeling position. He immediately observed Mikeys paleness and when Richie touched his green skin, he noticed that he was cold to the touch and slightly clammy.
"What happened to you Mikey?" He asked, concerned for his new friend.
Raph snapped his head towards them, with malice in his eyes,
"Don't you touch him!" He yelled.
Richie snatched his hands away from Mikey as if he'd been burned and held them up in the international sign of 'I-mean-no-harm'.
"I just want to help." Richie informed.
"I think you've helped enough." Raph countered, walking to stand beside his brother protectively.
Meanwhile, Mikey had managed to get to his feet,
"It's not his fault Raph, he couldn't have known this would happen." Mikey said, trying to appeal to his steaming brother. He was a little unsteady on his feet so he leaned a little into Raph.
"What happened?!" Richie asked again, sounding exasperated.
"What happened?" Raph asked mockingly, "He keeps getting' shocked is 'what happened'!"
"How many times?" Richie asked.
"Too many" Both Mikey and Raph answered at the same time, though in different ways. Mikey sounded exhausted while Raph sounded pissed.
"Besides the initial shock when we were apprehended and the one when we were separated from you, twice in the last hour." Donnie answered. He just now noticed that Richies' helmet and mechanical backpack were missing
Richie's eyes widened slightly at that revelation and Raph didn't miss the surprise on his face that echoed his thoughts.
"What?" He growled, but he couldn't mask the worry that had crept into his voice.
"Um…it's just that with that many shocks in that short amount of time and taking into account the increasing intensity of the-"
"Spit it out Brainiac!" Raph commanded.
"I'm surprised he didn't suffer some sort of cardiovascular episode." The words flew out of Richies mouth as he cringed, waiting for the inevitable outburst.
Raph growled again and wanted nothing more than to charge, but he stayed put because he was supporting most of Mikey's weight.
"It's not his fault Raph. He didn't know that I'd get shocked so many times." Mikey stated again, staring into his brother's eyes with a seriousness he rarely showed. "Right?" He looked to Richie for confirmation. Richie enthusiastically nodded his head in an affirmative motion.
"He's got a point." Donnie added.
Raph relaxed his posture, slightly, but kept the scowl on his face.
"Fine." Raph conceded. "But I want these things off. Now!!"
Richie hesitated in complying with Raphs demand and looked at Donnie. He didn't hesitate because of inability but out of fear. Donnie noticed the terror reflecting in his eyes, but the others only noticed the hesitation.
"Don't tell me ya can't get 'em off?" Mikey groaned, sounding desperate and panicked.
Richie sighed, "No, I can it's just that without Backpack to relay the release command to the Zap Caps, the only way to transmit the signal is through the implant He left behind. I've never accessed it before and I don't know what will happen."
"Who's 'He'?" Mikey asked at the same time Raph shouted, "I don't care what ya hafta do, get 'em off of us!" Raph's shouting over shadowed Mikey's question, so no one heard it.
"Ok" Richie conceded. He looked to Don and said, "Remember your promise."
Donnie gave a nod while his brothers looked at him.
"What promise?" Raph asked.
"Not now Raph, just hope I don't have to keep it." Donnie answered.
Without any more delay, Richie closed his eyes and his face took on the look of extreme concentration. He stayed that way for several minutes, standing motionless while the turtles waited. Just when Raph's patience was starting to grow thin, Richie's eyes suddenly snapped open. But something was wrong, his eyes were glowing! Instead of the sky blue color they usually held, the brothers saw a bright golden yellow. A moment later the restraints went slack and fell to the floor recoiling into what looked like a small hand grenade.
"Dude, thanks. That feels so much better!" Mikey said as he stretched out his arms and shoulders.
"Uh, dude? You ok?" Mikey asked after he got no response.
Richie had begun breathing hard, his face screwed up in serious concentration.
"Ah shell." Donnie whispered in undeniable comprehension.
"What's goin' on Donnie?" Raph asked.
"Exactly what he was afraid of would happen is happening, He is trying to take control."
"Who's this 'He' everyone keeps talkin' about?" Mikey asked, confused.
"No time now Mikey, we have to snap him out of it before it'd too late."
Donnie moved forward quickly, but cautiously, "Richie? Listen to me, you are stronger than Him. Don't let Him gain control."
Suddenly, Richie let out a half grunt, half scream as he fell to his knees gripping his head with both hands.
"That's it Richie, fight back. You can beat Him." Donnie encouraged as he knelt close to his friend.
Raph and Mikey had no clue what was happening, so they could only stand back and watch.
A/N: It wasn't my longest chapter, but it wasn't my shortest either. Let me know what you thought about it!