A/N: Sorry for the exceptionally long wait on this. For about a week and a half, I had no monitor and my internet's screwy. When I got the temp one I'm using now and the internet kept dying, I decided to update in a lot of fics. I may start posting Down the River of Lost Memories on here (a collab with my friend). Anyway, read on, readers. ;)

The next time I open my eyes, he's smiling. "Tell me, what do you remember?"

"Ramember…?" I ask as I begin to feel the pressing weight of emptiness. It hurts…and it scares me… I feel so confused and tired. He places his hand on my chin and I flinch; he makes sure I don't turn away.

"Do you remember anything?"

"Wha…? N-no…"

"Good. Now I can move on to the next phase of my testing," He says as he walks away. I watch him with growing fear. Something's very wrong… What's going on…?

Meanwhile, Leonardo and his brothers accompany their sensei on a trip through their lost memories. Splinter stood in front of them in the dream world to prepare them for the journey. "It was mid-June. You four were always restless that time of year. Michelangelo left about late afternoon…" As he talked, images swirled around them. They saw a young Mikey, skateboard in hand, open the lair's door, take one look around him, and then disappear through it. "Leonardo, you saw him leave. The one thing you did right that day was tell Raphael where you were going…" A scene of a young Leo and Raph briefly talking before Leo ran off towards the door. "…Raphael ended up telling me about it, but not outright. By the time, I found out, it had been a few hours and it was starting to get late. I came out of my room to see Raphael and Donatello in an argument…" A scene of Raph and a tear-filled Donny silently arguing flashed. "…I had to threaten to even get you to tell. And then I went out alone. I found Leonardo with Michelangelo's skateboard in hand…" This time a young Leo was seen with tears in his eyes as he frantically looked around the immediate area before spotting Splinter and running up to him. "It seemed Michelangelo had taken a bad fall, and by the time Leonardo arrived, was already gone. Then I had to find him. I sent Leonardo home before searching the area for clues, finding nothing.

"That report you read was what alerted me. It appeared in the paper about a month after Michelangelo went missing. The name of the building Svone worked in was easy to find when I begin my suspicions. Then all I had to do was get to him. The day I planned to invade the place, you three found out what was happening and only would stop bothering me when I told you to stay home. You didn't, but I never expected you to. I made it inside without alerting anyone and caught Svone as he was working on a report. To this day, I don't know how he got his hands on Michelangelo. Only he would know, but I did get him out of there."

"Why didn't you kill Svone?" Donny asked, "He was right there."

"Believe me I would have, especially if I had known what leaving him alive would entail. As I went to attack him, he threw someone at me and then escaped. Instead of following, I had to make sure Michelangelo was safe. I knew he needed me more at that time."

"Do you know what Svone want with Mikey? Is it the same thing he wanted before? Or is it like want he did to Donny?" Leo asked, and in this in-between world, they all could feel the wave of emotion radiating from Donny at the name of his tormentor. "…Sorry," Leo added with a glance at Don.

"I believe this time it may be more about memory." Splinter continued as if he didn't feel anything. "You must hurry. I fear for your brother. Time is running short. Go to him. I gave you the location. Now I will show you. Remember and rescue your brother. If you can, kill Svone, but be smart about it. I have a feeling this man won't just leave us alone. He will be back."

Again, Donny shivered until he finally had to pull out of this dream world with a fear of what his brothers may see. The others followed him out and Leo looked over at him as Donny stood and turned away. "What's wrong, Donny?"

"Nothing," He said a little too quickly, "Come on; let's get ready to get Mikey back." He started to head to his lab but his brother's voice stopped him.

"Ya know sum'thin', don'tcha?" Raph asked as he stood with his arms folded across his plastron. "What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Raph." Don said without turning around.

"Is it about those dreams? What did he show ya?"

"I said…" He began, anger entering his usually calm voice. He took a breath before continuing, "I don't want to talk about it." He looked towards the ceiling as if asking for patience. "Let's just go…"

"I-" Raph began. Leo placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Svone could be really messing with Mikey, guys. We don't have time for this. Get the stuff you need and let's go, now." Leo ordered. As his brothers finally began to get ready, Leo glanced at Splinter's now unconscious body. If he wasn't worried about Mikey, he would insist on staying home. He was greatly worried for his father. He hated Svone's men for what they did. He could only hope his father's aged body could recover from the battering…

I'm so confused. My head hurts. I don't want to be here. Why can't I get away? What's wrong with me? I know this guy's responsible, but I can't place who is anymore. I'm sure I knew before… I pull against my binds as my fear grows. Small bits of images cross my memory but nothing sticks long enough for me to comprehend them. I feel so alone… Is there anyone coming for me? I don't even remember simple things. It's so hard to even try to remember. That just hurts more. Maybe I don't want to remember. Maybe then, the pain will go away…

Svone growled as he watched the input screen. The test wasn't working. He couldn't believe he could fail. It had worked once. He typed in some info as he thought. The last time it worked, the memory gap was small. It was only about a month long. That had returned completely after a little over a month. So maybe 16 years of memory will return for about that same amount of time? Svone shook his head. It had to work quicker than that. It needed to. Otherwise, he won't get enough of a profit. It also needed to be less painful, but Svone knew he could take care of that easier. This was just a test run anyway, perfectly legal too with their being no laws against it. That was the best discovery he ever made. He glanced over at Michelangelo with a smile at first memory of the then younger turtle. It sure made him comfortable with the funds needed to continue his research.

When he glance back at his computer system, he caught sight of a dark shadow in his security cameras. And so you have arrived. His smile grew with anticipation. Then he frowned when he remembered the situation. They can't get to my subject yet. I still have more work planned. If I can just get the drug to work faster… Then he shook his head as he started for the door with his communicator in hand. "Report to area 2-A20. Be ready for confrontation." He ordered to the communicator before addressing the lab assistants in the room. "Keep an eye on the animal. I want constant status updates. I have a bit of business to deal with." With that, the scientist left the room.

The three turtle brothers expected a fight, but they did not expect one too soon. Almost as soon as they entered the building, the unnaturally fast lab assistants were there.

"Do ya take steroids fer breakfast?" Raphael roared as he barely dodged a strike to his side. "Man, I'm starting ta sound like Mikey now. Must be 'cause he ain't here ta say it." Just to make up for the lapse in personality, Raph struck out at one of the super-geeks, only to miss. "Why don'tcha stand still so I can get a hit in, ya gay bastards."

"It's no use. We can't fight them." Leo said, dodging a hit by flipping backwards. "We have to lose them."

"I don't wanna admit defeat from a bunch a' lousy lab-rats!" Raph growled. Donny barely glanced at him for that, being a 'lab-rat' himself.

"Well then don't. Tactical retreat, remember?" Leo said, sparing a glance for his brother and a brief half-smile. When he turned back to the fight, his katana caught one of the men in the arm, drawing a small amount of blood, and surprising the reciprocator as well as Leo himself. "Heh, I don't think these guys are really any good at fighting."

"Yeah, they jus' have that lidda speed thing goin' fer them." Raph said, sarcastically.

"Can we just go and get this over with?" Donny said through clenched teeth, but whether he was really annoyed or his tone was because the man he was trying to block with his bo staff just got past his defenses enough to cut into his arm some was anyone's guess.

"What's the hurry, Donatello?" The voice froze Donny, along with the lab crew, as Dr. Elias Svone stepped into view.

"Svone." Donny muttered, darkly.

"Still a little steamed, I see." He said with a smirk.

"Where's Michelangelo." Leo said as he pointed his katana at Svone.

"I'm a little busy at this moment and not ready for guests. My experiment isn't quite going as planned-"

"Whaddaya doin' ta my brotha, Svone?" Raph growled, fists clenched around the hilts of his sais.

"So I would appreciate it if you take your leave and come back a little later." Svone went on; obviously ignoring both Leonardo and Raphael as his eyes never strayed from Donatello's narrowed ones.

"I'm not leaving until I bring you to your knees, Svone, for what you've done to me and now what you're doing to my brother." Donny said in return.

"I haven't even come close to a point where I can just hand over your brother. Unlike the Nightmare Generator and the Prophethorical – both I used on you – this new invention hasn't had the kinks worked out on it. It would be best if I had more time-"

"You've had time enough!" Raph roared. He hated being ignored. And that Svone insisted on talking to his younger brother and not him or Leo only made it worse.

"Raph…" Leo said, simply. His own voice held a distinct impatience for the same reason as his brother even as he tried to still Raph's temper. "Listen to me, Svone." He said, stepping a little in front of Donny, in-between him and Svone, purposefully. "Stop playing these games and release Michelangelo, now."

For the first time, Svone spared Leo a quick glance. "Your brother doesn't seem to understand." He said, speaking to Donatello again. "I can't release him just yet. I'm not even sure you'd want him right now. He's kind of not himself right now…"

"You bastard!" Raph roared.

"I would stop this before you lose your head." Donny said, glancing from Leo's defensive posture – katanas drawn and ready – to Raph's offensive stance – about ready to pounce at Svone, his gripped sais held in attack position, "My brothers are about ready to attack you right now."

"Is that so?" Svone said, easily, "Then they must not realize the seriousness of Michelangelo's condition. I'm needed to perfect the formula."

"What formula?" Leo asked.

"What didja do ta him?" Raph demanded.

"I don't have time for this…" Svone muttered as he glanced at his watch.

Donny would've attacked him at that moment if it wasn't for the fact that Leo was in his way. As it was, he didn't need to. That was the moment Leo decided to take action. He shot forward – as Donny knew he was ready to do in an instant from years of watching his brother in battle – and managed to pin Svone on the ground, one katana to the man's throat, the other between arm and side, pinning him to the ground through flesh (by rage-induced accident, as Leo normally just would have pinned him through his shirt).

"You have time now." Leo said, evenly, in that dangerously calm voice of his just slightly inflexed with the anger he couldn't hold back like his father could. The katana's blade – that was against Svone's neck – dug in just slightly, but Leo didn't seem to care. "So tell me: where is my brother?"

Svone had never faced down an angry Leonardo before – though he had faced an angry Splinter and escaped just barely all thanks to a handy escape hatch and a bomb on his pleasure island/submersible laboratory. This was his first time at sword point facing down his possible death though. It made him wonder how dangerous this animal could be. The scientific curiosity all but won out over his flash of fear. He managed to cool it to nervous indifference before he spoke. "If I am killed, I can not answer."

"We won't need your answer if you want to play it that way."

"My men wouldn't let anyone past them at my death. No one will get to where Michelangelo is then."

"We'll manage. Start talking, Svone." The dangerous glint in Leo's eyes only grew as the katana moved as if to cut deeper.

"He may not want to leave just yet. He won't remember you."

As Svone expected it too, this announcement managed to get Leo to draw back some, but not enough for Svone to get free. "What do you mean?"

"I've erased memories before. I know how well that works. I wasn't sure how well that Memory Retrieval formula worked, however. Apparently, it still needs work, but-"

"You erased Mikey's memory?" Leo said, for the first time, losing his practiced calm. "All of it?"

"Yes."

"And you can't get it back?" This time, his voice turned a little sarcastic in his anger.

"Not without time."

"Heh, no. Your time's run out, buddy." Leo said, almost sounding completely deranged. He moved to decapitate Svone, but before he could, one of Svone's men clubbed him over the head. Leo instantly collapsed, sliding to the floor beside Svone, who then slowly got to his feet, not even sparing a glance at his savior as he removed the katana meant to pin him and held a hand over his cut neck. He nudged Leo's prone from, confirming the turtle's unconsciousness, before looking over the hallway. His brow quirked at finding only one turtle still in attendance, other than the unconscious one: Donatello.

"Where's the other one?" He asked, quietly.

"Got away. We intercepted them when they tried to immediately help the other, but during the confusion of battle, we lost it." A lab-tech answered.

"Probably gone to find the brother. Keep a look-out for him. In the mean-time, take this one away to one of the temp-labs down the hall." He nudged Leo with his foot again and this time earned himself a small grunt in return. "Before he wakes up. How hard did you hit him? It doesn't matter anyway. I just want to try a little side experiment; get myself a little payback. In the meanwhile, I'm going to say hi to my favorite turtle again…"

It was Donatello's idea, both times. He thought maybe one of them should go find Mikey while they were all distracted. It was also his stupid idea to stay behind, but Raph had to deal with that. He knew when his brother wasn't going to change his mind and he thought, maybe, Donny needed this. He could tell his brother was still struggling with his previous capture. He didn't get to see much of Leo's 'conversation' with Svone, but he saw enough to know Leo had Svone covered for the moment…and vise-versa. He wasn't there for Leo's knock-out, though, or he wouldn't have left at all. All Raph cared about now was finding Mikey. …And keeping hidden. He didn't want another set of lab-techs-on-speed holding him up.

He made good progress through the industrial-style hallways and actually got lucky once when he located a floor map tacked up on the wall. He figured Mikey was being held in some kinda lab and, looking at the different rooms and floors, realized how broad that was. "This is gonna be harder then I thought." Raph whispered softly enough not to be heard. He eventually had to guess based on he past association with Svone. Donny had been held in more of a private lab… Big and centrally located… Probably had quick access out for easy and silent transport… As he thought, his finger trailed over the map before finally settling on one possibility. That looks like my best bet. With that in mind, Raph moved on.

Donny hadn't yet noticed Leo ran into any trouble. He had been concentrating on keeping the lab-techs busy and keeping himself standing. Then the fighting stopped so abruptly, Donny started towards Svone's grinning, approaching figure. "It's just you and me now, Donatello. Back to where we've started, it seems."

"Where's Leo?" Donny said as he looked around for his brother and couldn't see him anywhere.

"I'm sure my men will catch up to Raphael shortly. I'm surprised he could get by my men."

"Where's Leo?" Donny said, more firmly, as he stared Svone down.

"Your brother nearly killed me. He needs to be taught a small lesson."

"He doesn't need to be taught anything! What are you going to do to him?"

"The future is a funny thing. There are so many possible scenarios. Differing endings from one to the next all depending on the choices made by each and every individual involved. Your dreams have given me an idea. I want to try it out."

"No." Donny said as the memory of one dream came back to him: Leo trapped and bleeding in a strange forest like something out of a nightmare. "You're not going to do anything more to my brothers!"

"It's too bad really. There's nothing you can do about it. You might as well just give up trying."

"Never." Donny said before attacking Svone.

A/N: Well they ya have it. A nice long one for ya. Please review. Reviews mean more memories for Mikey ;)