Leo noticed with relief that Donnie was starting to come around as he and Mikey finally rejoined the others. Raph had set him down on the ground and was watching over him as he started to sit up and groan, holding his hand to his head. "Did someone get the plate number on that bus...?" he murmered.

Leo knelt down next to him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just have a headache right now. He sure does pack a punch."

"You noticed." Mikey said. "Dude hits like a friggin freight train."

"Did we get the sample?" Donnie asked, rubbing the back of his head. Already Leo could see a lump forming. Donnie must have hit pretty hard.

"Mikey got it." Leo told him. "Can you walk? We need to get out of here, Karai and her Foot are still in the area and I really don't feel like tangleing with them right now."

Donnie got to his feet and took a few steps but he didn't get far before he lost his balence. Raph and Leo caught him before he fell, one grabbing him under each arm. "It's alright, little brother. We got you." Raph told him.

"All right. Raph we will help him. Mikey keep an eye on our rear, I don't want anyone sneaking up on us. Lucy you walk inbetween us and Mikey but stay close to us."

"What happened to Brian?" She asked him.

Leo looked at her. "He was entertaining the foot the last time I saw him. Don't worry, we can find him again when we are ready. Even if Karai does manage to round him up, I'm not going to let that stop us. If I have to I'll deal with her." Lucy sighed and nodded.

Mikey laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I know my bro. He won't stop until it's set right."

Leo looked around at them. "If we are ready to go then let's move." They slowly made their way across the sewers so Donnie could move at an easy pace and the purple masked turtle slowly started regain his balence. By the time they got home he was walking on his own again Leo was grateful for that, he hated it when any of them got hurt. No matter how hard he tried not to let it get to him he still felt ashamed when something did happen. Always thinking of what could have been done differently. He found his thoughts wandering along those lines again, that same anger building up inside as when Mikey got hurt, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look and saw that it was Raph.

"Remember what we talked about, Leo. Don't beat yourself up about it. These things happen."

"I know, Raph. I just, I don't know..."

"Leo, we knew this was going to be rough going in. I'm surprised that all there was was just one bump on the noggin. I think we got pretty lucky."

"Still, it doesn't make it any easier when someone does get hurt."

"I didn't say it did. Heck I was pretty hot under the collar too when I saw Donnie laying there, but I don't blame you for it. So don't you dare blame yourself."

Leo closed his eyes and sighed. His brothers knew him so well but he supposed that was a good thing. It made their bond stronger and their teamwork better. He opened his eyes again and looked at Raph. "I'll be all right. I promise. You won't have to chase me around the sewers tonight to keep me from busting my hands on walls."

Raph chuckled. "Vicky would deshell you if you ran off like that again."

Leo couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, she would. Then probably hit me with it." Raph started laughing.

Leo looked at his brother. "Thanks, Raph." Raph just winked and walked off towards Donnie's lab, probably going to pester him to take it easy. Leo walked over to where Lucy was sitting on the couch, her head down and her face hidden by her long blonde hair. He could tell something was bothering her and he thought he knew what it might be. He sat down on the couch next to her. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but are you all right?"

She lifted her head and Leo could tell that she had been crying. "H-he didn't even know it was me... I couldn't get through to him. I'm loosing him" She looked up at him with tearful eyes. "I'm so scared."

Leo reached out and took her hand. "I know you are. I'd be surprised if you wern't. Just don't lose hope, we will do what ever we can for him. Noone desrves to go through this." Lucy wiped her eyes and nodded. "Try to get some rest." he told her "I'll let you know where we go from here just as soon as Donnie is ready."

She sighed and laid down on the couch and Leo covered her up and within a few moments she was fast asleep. Leo looked at Donnie's lab, it was all up to him now. All the rest of them could do was wait.

.

.

Donnie worked for hours. He was tired and hungry but he refused to let that bother him, this was to important. Brian was slipping fast and he needed to hurry. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in." he said without even looking up from his microscope. He heard someone walk in and a moment later Dennis was standing next to him, the boy holding a tray of food in his hands. Donnie's bandaid still on his arm from where he drew blood from him earlier. Dennis really didn't need it, the entry point healed up the instant he removed the needle. Dennis had bugged him for one though, probably as a badge for himself because he could help. Amy was wearing one proudly too. Donnie smiled. "Hey, kiddo. How's your arm feel?"

"It's fine, Uncle Donnie. It don't hurt at all. Is our blood helping any at all?" He placed the food tray on Donnie's desk, well away from where he was working.

Donnie looked up from his work and smiled at the boy. "Yes it is, Dennis. I'm pretty sure we can do this."

Dennis smiled at him in return. "Good. Are you sure there isn't anything else I can help you with?"

"Not this time, kiddo. I'm not saying I don't appreciate your wanting to help but this is something I have to be very careful with."

"It's OK. Mommy told me to bring you something to eat. She said you won't come out of here so the food had to come to you."

Donnie laughed. "Let her know I said thank you. I'll eat something in a little bit. I have to finish this first."

"I will." Dennis then left his uncle to his work. Donnie turned back to his microscope. He was so close to being finished, there was just one test left to do. He put a small sample of Brian's blood on a slab and added just a tiny bit of the antimutagen he had created. 'Come on...work'. He watched. At first nothing happened but then he watched, fascinated, as the mutated cells were swiftly ripped apart. Just as quickly the cells rehealed to their original composition. Donnie fell back into his chair, overcome with relief. It would work, it would be painful for Brian, but it would work. Maybe he could find a way to knock him out first before dosing him with the cure. Donnie's stomache rumbled, first he needed to eat, then he would tackle that problem.

.

.

Karai walked into the warehouse she had set up as headquarters for this particular operation. It was large enough for what she needed it for. The large room was empty except for a very large and heavily reinforced metal crate in the corner. As she walked towards it she heard the angry growls coming from within, followed by the occasinal slam as the beast within tried to break free.

It had cost her dearly to restrain the beast, she had lost over twenty men before they could get him in the crate, but eventually she was rewarded with succes. That fool Bachman was just to incompitent to handle the situation and she had to step in herself. Now she had the beast and the turtles would pay. She had seen them last night, seen Leonardo. The one who had turned her father from a strong ruthless warrior into a shell of his former self. Her father now hid in his building, refusing to have anything more to do with the mutated freaks. Leonardo had beaten him and more than just in body, he had broken her master's spirit. She could not let this stand, she would bring her former friend to her father. In pieces if need be but first she would destroy everything he loved. This beast would help her with that, she had seen how they had struggled to take it down finally giving up and fleeing.

She narrowed her eyes, it was time to draw them out. And once she had destroyed them her father could return to his former glory. The Shredder would reign once more.

.

.

Donnie came out of his lab finally and when he did he had a big grin on his face. Leo got up from the couch he was sitting on the floor playing a board game with Vicky, Dennis and Amy. They didn't say anything but just watched. Leo was once again amazed on how much these two actually understood what goes on around them. They didn't protest the interuption because they understood excatly what was at stake. Vicky stayed seated on the floor with them, Mir on her lap, but she watched as Leo got up to go talk to his brother.

"What's the news, Donnie?"

"I got it. I mixed up a cure and an tranqualizer mix. It's going to hurt like hell and I didn't want him to be awake for it. I think he's been through enough. I adjusted it so the tranq would kick in before the change takes place."

Leo laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Good job. Now go get some rest. We go-" He was interruppted by the sound of his shell cell ringing. He took it out and looked. "It's Casey." then he answered. "What's up Casey?"

"I do believe you are mistaken, old friend." the voice on the other end wasn't Casey's.

"Karai..."

"If you plan to see your freinds again then I would advise you to bring your brothers and father to the old warehouse by the docks. We must discuss the matter of what you did to my father. If you don't, then I will have the discussion with your friends. I will introduce them to someone very large and hungy."

"Don't do this, Karai."

"It has already been done. You know what to do and no weapons, or your friends lives are forfeit. I know better than to let you come armed." Then the line went dead.

By now the others had gathered around him. He looked at his family. "Karai has Brian, April and Casey. She wants us and Master Splinter to go to the abandoned warehouse by the docks."

Raph spun his sais. "Well let's go."

Leo plucked them out of Raph's hands. "Unarmed, Raph."

"Are you nuts?!"

Leo shook his head. "We can't bring our weapons. But she didn't say anything about someone else bringing them." He looked at Vicky. She understood immeidiatly and nodded her head. He just hoped that she was ready for what was ahead.