Chapter 13
"Smart turtle." Shredder said as he withdrew the blades from Mikey's chin. He then addressed the ninjas in the room,
"Take them back. You are to remain there and ensure he holds up his end of the bargain. If he does not, kill them and their human cohorts."
Donatello glared at the Shredder for his amendment of the deal, but wisely didn't protest. There was nothing he could do about it anyway. The ninja bowed acknowledgement of their orders while the Shredder left and Donnie could practically hear him grinning.
"On your feet freak!" One ninja ordered Mikey.
Michelangelo managed to get to his feet, but a wave of dizziness had him swaying dangerously. He closed his eyes trying to regain his equilibrium. Pain suddenly flared in his newly injured arm and he snapped his eyes open. A ninja was squeezing his wound,
"No fainting!" He ordered. "I am NOT going to carry your mutant ass, now walk!"
He gave Michelangelo a shove. Donatello wanted to speak out against the mistreatment of his brother, but it would most likely make it worse. When they got back to their room they found more Foot soldiers already there. Donatello felt awkward when everyone stared at them. He was sure their attention was drawn to his nasty head wound and the multitude of new bruises on his face as well as Michelangelo's bloody arm. Two escorted Michelangelo back to this post and locked him back in, while the others escorted Donatello over to the lab area. The rest Ninja in the room took up positions behind the other turtles and beside the tube that contained Batman and Robin.
Concern for Leonardo and Michelangelo's blood loss grew as he saw both looking very pale. He knew the chances were slim, but he had to try to help them. He just had to be smart about it.
He stopped walking, planted his feet and made himself heavy. The Foot soldier escorting him wasn't prepared and was jerked back. Before the Ninja could react Donatello spoke,
"I want to wrap my brothers wounds."
"No." was the reply.
Donatello wasn't surprised by the answer, that he was prepared for it.
"You have to let me see to them." The ninja was silent. "If you don't, they could bled out and die leaving the agreement null and void, which means the Shredder will be very angry with whoever is responsible."
The Ninja stiffened and thought for a minute.
"You have until Stockman returns. You will not speak and if you try anything they will pay."
Donatello agreed to the terms and the ninja freed his hands, but left the caller and ankle cuffs on and gave him some gauze. Donnie didn't know how much time he had so he went to Leo first who had been bleeding longer. The look of Donnie was getting from Leo was a 'what did-you-agree-to' look. Damn. He hadn't meant for them to hear that but he should have known they would. The room echoed like a cave. He answered by glancing at Mikey and Leo nodded his understanding. Leo's arm wound was not deep and had already started to scab over, but Donnie wrapped it anyway. The leg wound was still bleeding so Donnie wrapped it tightly.
Finished with Leo, Donnie moved onto Mikey and when they locked gazes Donnie gave Mikey an 'I 'm-sorry-I-let-this-happen-to-you' look. Mikey just rolls his eyes saying 'it wasn't your fault'. Mikey's gashes were very deep, cutting through muscle down to the bone. It had to be very painful. Throughout the bandaging, Donnie could feel the small tremors in Mikey's body. As he finished Donnie risked a whisper to his brother,
"Hold on bro, I'll find a way out of this."
Doubt flashed in Mikey's eyes before determination won over. Donnie flashed a comforting smile as he stood up.
"You're done, back over here. Now!" The Ninja demanded. After a quick, reassuring glance at his brothers, Donnie complied as quickly as his restraints allowed.
Batman had been silently observing and listening up till this point, but now he needed some answers.
"What was this deal you made?"
Donatello started at the accusing tones Batman used and looked at the man with a deer in the headlights look. He didn't want to have to admit what he had done, even though he did it to save his brother's life. But Batman wasn't looking at him, but at the ninja in charge. The ninja noticed the almost panicked look on the turtles face and saw this as an opportunity. If he couldn't harm him physically, then mentally would have to do.
"The Master needs the freak to get some info for him."
Robin couldn't believe what he was hearing, "And you agree to help him?" He cried out in disbelief.
"You don't understand-" Donnie tried to explain, but the ninja backhanded his already battered face,
"I told you no talking!"
"What kind of information?" The Batman asked trying to get the Ninja's attention off of Donatello.
The ninja chuckled, "You're about to find out." He replied as the door opened.
IIIIIIIIII
Stockman entered in his usual superior than thou attitude, but sneered when he spotted Donatello.
"I can't understand why Master Shredder is making me work with you!" He huffed, then spoke to the ninja,
"The Master wants you to retrieve and deliver it here while I prepare things."
The Ninja only nodded and left to comply with his orders. Donnie was not ashamed to admit that he wasn't sorry to see him go.
"Donatello," The Stockman's voice dripped with superiority and Donny just sighed. He had to try and keep his cool, so he pretended indifference and turned to face Stockman.
"Come here, now!" Stockman demanded.
Once again the Donatello complied, without hesitation as fast as he could with his restraints.
Over the next half-hour he acted the good little captive and kept his mouth shut, unless asked a direct question. Stockman had him upgrading programs on several computers to get them ready to receive a massive download.
Several questions popped into Donnie's head as he worked, like 'What kind of information was the Shredder after?' 'What was he going to use it for?' 'Why couldn't he keep it in it's original storage device?' This last question troubled Donatello most, but nothing he came up with seemed plausible.
While he was preparing computers, Stockman was… Well, Donatello didn't know what he was doing exactly, but his mutterings of, 'inferior knowledge' and 'babysitting' was starting to irritate him. Not to mention the constant belittling and vulgar insults that came flying out of his mouth whenever he came to check on his progress.
Donatello was known for his seemingly unlimited patience, you kind of had to have quite a bit with three brothers (especially Mikey) around and in your business all the time, but he was finding it more and more difficult to keep a lid on his growing temper.
Donatello wasn't the only one getting annoyed with the overly arrogant scientist. He noticed that Raphael was simmering in his own anger. Stockman was digging a deeper hole in which Raphael will enthusiastically bury him if and when he got free. A reassuring smile after each bout of insults seem to keep him from blowing, at least for now, but Donnie knew that his temper would soon explode and he would only succeed in injuring himself. So for his brother's sake he endured the taunting with greater difficulty as time passed. But Raph wasn't the only one getting angry at the way Stockman was treating the purple-banded turtle, Virgil really wished he could zap some sense into the sorry excuse of a human.
"Enough!" Virgil bellowed, unable to control himself any longer. He couldn't take it anymore.
"If you're so much smarter than he is, then why didn't your precious Master ask you to do this?"
Virgil felt all eyes on him and he suddenly thought that his little outburst was not the best idea. Stockman looked far too calm as he made his way towards the young hero and the sneer on his face made the teenager very uneasy.
"You think I care what you think of me? You're a freak of nature, just like he is."
Okay, that's new. He's never been called a 'freak of nature' before and it hurt a lot more than he thought it would. Stockman was pleased with the reaction and turned back to his work. Not two minutes later, his phone rang.
"WHAT?" He spat and impatiently.
"Yes, I'm ready for it." He hung up the phone.
"You better have those computers done!" He said in such a way that told everyone that he didn't believe that Donatello had finished the task.
Donnie just ignored the taunt, "They're done."
Stockman narrowed his eyes in disbelief as he went over and shoved the turtle out of the way so he could see for himself.
"So they are." He said condescendingly when he found nothing wrong, which irritated him even more. He turned towards Donatello as if he'd insulted him, but the door opened. Donnie gave a sigh of relief, but his relief was cut short when he saw what was brought through the door.
Donatello swallowed, trying to soothe the nausea that threatened to rise. What little hope he had gained with this deal with the Shredder went flying out the window at war warp 9.9.
"GEAR!" Virgil shouted from behind him, causing the purple-banded turtle to flinch.
Donatello knew things were going to get ugly and fast.
The Ninja deposited his burden on the metal slab by the computers. Wanting to do anything else, but feeling obliged, Donatello turned towards the heroes.
"Virgil…" Donnie started, but the young hero didn't seem to hear him.
All his attention was on the figure lying on a slab.
"Gear, you okay bro?"
That last word caused Donatello to glance anxiously at his own brothers.
"Oh my God!" Virgil said just above a whisper, noticing the blue tinge to Gear's skin and the lack of movement from his chest.
"WHAT DID YOU TO HIM? GEAR!" Virgil shouted pounding on the plastic of his tube prison.
Rage and hatred filled his entire being and Donatello spied a single tear on his cheek. He hung his head in shame knowing he was the real cause of Virgil's pain.
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR KILLING HIM!" Virgil shouted at the retreating back of the Ninja.
The Ninja stopped and turned around, "Your blame on me and the clan is unfounded. When your friend was sequestered with the mutants he was alive and well." You could hear the joy in his voice as he disclosed this bit of information.
The Ninja wished he could stay and witness the aftermath but it was not worth the wrath of his Master for disobeying orders. Even those who could have spoken, kept their mouths shut as the doors closed, throwing the entire room into a shocked silence.
Virgil's eyes snapped to Donatello, full of rage and confusion.
"What was he talking about?" Virgil asked behind clenched teeth.
Donatello thought he saw sparks crackle in his eyes but he couldn't be sure. Quickly Donnie glanced at Stockman to see if he is going to stop him from answering but the gleeful smirk on his face told the turtle that he was on his own.
'Great' Donatello thought as he steels himself for what he knew he had to do. Given the circumstances he was glad that Virgil was in there and he was out here. Donatello looked Virgil straight in the eyes,
"I killed Gear."
"Why?" Virgil demanded.
"He was trying to help Raph, Mikey, and I escape, Leo had been taken to Shredder." Donatello paused to take a breath and force himself to slow down. "Mikey kept getting shocked by the zap-cap restraints. Gear couldn't release them by himself, and since he didn't have his backpack, he tapped into Brainiac's implant and-"
"And Brainiac started to takeover." Virgil finished.
Donnie nodded, "Gear couldn't fight him off and he asked me to…stop that from happening." Virgil looked over at Gears still body.
"Right." Stockman interrupted, "Now that the touching confessional is done with, we can get on with the download. Come hear turtle."
As Donnie walked by Virgil, the teenager whispered to him, "You know what he wants you to do, don't you?"
Donnie nodded.
"And you know what's going to happen if you do this?"
Again Donnie nodded, "And what will happen if I don't."
Donatello was torn. He knew he couldn't let Brainiac be resurrected, nor could he let them kill his brothers.
Neither decision would be easy to make.
A/N: There you have it! I've been trying to get them out of there for the last two chapters but the story keeps getting away from me. I don't want to rush it but I don't want to drag it on either. But no fear, escape is close at hand!