Sorry for the delay in updating this story, but I have had a rough time healthwise. I hope you all understand. Not entirely sure if I am happy with this chapter. Still not feeling 100% Anyway, thank you for your patience and for taking the time to read. Please review. Enjoy!

A heavy sigh escaped Leonardo's lips as the call finally connected and a familiar voice began to flood the line.

"April! Sorry? Yes, I'm well aware of what time it is."

April rolled over, opened her eyes and blinked blearily at the harsh neon figures on her bedside alarm. It took several moments before she could eventually focus on the time. She groaned inwardly. She had to be up in a matter of hours. Sleep didn't come easily, not since Donatello's disappearance. Soon after, the nightmares had started. Thick and choking.

"April," Leonardo breathed softly, cutting through April's sleep hazed thoughts. "We've found Donnie."

April sprung forward, sitting upright she clutched the covers tightly to her chest.

"You've found him! Is he okay? Can, can I speak to him?"

"He's not here but he's… close." Leonardo winced as the words left his mouth. In reality he had no idea exactly where Donatello was, he just hoped it was somewhere nearby and that they would be able to reach him in time.

'I don't understand, he's not with you?' April pinched the bridge of her nose attempting to ward off the headache that was now beginning the beat steadily behind her eyes.

"Listen, we need your help. Can you get the van and meet us, oh and can you bring a few shovels?

"Shovels?" April drew her knees towards her and hugged them tightly with her free arm. "There's something you're not telling me Leo. What are you not telling me?"

"You know where to meet us. And April, please hurry."

Leonard snapped the phone shut. He hated have to deceive those closest to him, but he really needed April to focus on the task at hand and not get bogged down with the details. Plus he couldn't take the risk that her phone line wasn't being tapped in some way. For now, things would have to remain as vague as possible, until he was sure of what he really knew. Which right now, wasn't much.

April listened to the peel of the dial tone for several seconds. Had he just hung up on her? Irritation was quickly replaced with dull dread as she went over the conversation in her mind. Van, shovels. Shovels? Slipping out of bed and stuffing her feet into a pair of sneakers, she ran her hand along the wall whilst she fumbled for the light switch. Reaching the kitchen counter she shakily snatched up the van keys and hastily scribbled a note for Casey to find, should she not return before morning. No time to get dressed, she'll simply have throw a coat over her pyjamas. Shovels? She was sure she had some shovels out the back of the shop. She would have to dig through the piles of discarded stock to find them. She'd asked Casey to take that lot to the dump weeks ago. Typical.

Gradually his eyelids fluttered open. The stark brightness of the over head lights did nothing to alleviate the pounding deep within his head. His brow furrowed as he tried to reclaim the shattered events that had lead to this moment. Slowly the stark lines of his sterile prison swam into view. Only this time, something was different. The constricting pressure of biting bonds was now strangely absent. Scanning the room quickly, Donatello cautiously raised himself up on his elbows. Surely this was some sort of mistake. Or a trap, a dangling carrot of sorts, another bid to wound his damaged psyche. Or maybe, just maybe they weren't expecting him to come round from the anaesthesia as quickly as they did. However, it wasn't like Bishop to be this… sloppy. Either way the opportunity for escape was too great to be missed.

Silently Donatello slid down from the table. His limbs complained bitterly as he tried to force them to follow orders. Rubber limbed he painfully made his way over to the door on the far side of the room. Pressing his body against the cool metal his listened intently for any sounds emulating from the other side. Far beyond the whir and buzz of several archaic pieces of equipment, there was only silence. Donatello bit down on his lip as he anxiously tried the handle, nervously chewing as he coaxed the door from it's steel surround. Each minute sound seemed strangely magnified against the creaking emptiness.

Darkness.

Cool, welcoming darkness beckoned and spread out before him as he groped his way through the gloom. His eyes were beginning to adjust now, he was just able to make out several large shapes pressed menacingly against the walls. A shimmering sliver of light spilt out from under a door as crept across the floor towards him. Donatello was certain that the hammering of his heart would give his position away. He didn't have long to wait, in a heartbeat the room was flooded with white light. Donatello attempted to shield his eyes as a wave of intense pain exploded through his head, blanking out his vision.

"Oh, so disappointing.' Bishops voice hissed hotly against the back of Donatello's neck. "You're trying to escape. I would have expected more. Don't you like it here? No? Just as I thought we were getting to know each other.'

Donatello closed his eyes as sagged slightly. He could almost feel the sarcasm and glee oozing from Bishop's body, like sweat.

"Tell me," Bishop continued, "tell me. Exactly how far were you planning on getting? Hmm? No answer? I thought you were the one with all the answers. TELL ME!"

Donatello winced as his felt Bishop's heavy breath on his face. Opening his eyes he started into the contorted features of the face before him. This seemed to please Bishop as a smirk slowly slipped across his thin lips.

"You wouldn't have got very far at all." Bishop's voice was now barely a whisper. "Because of this!" He produced a small glass vile of clear liquid from the folds of his jacket. "This! This perfect serum of my own ingenious creation."

"What is it?" Donatello's voice sounded oddly strained.

Bishop's eyes glinted wildly, betraying his excitement. He lightly caressed vile. "It de-molecularises mutant strains of DNA, quite clever really and I took the liberty of injecting some of it into your blood stream."

Donatello breathing quickened. He stared blankly as Bishop dissolved into fits of laughter.

"Can you feel it, can you? Feel it slowly unravelling your DNA, liquefying your cells as we speak?"

The edges of Donatello's vision began to darken. Breathing was now becoming strangely difficult. The room began to swirl and pitch as the yawning darkness rose up to meet him once again. The cold floor stung his skin as Bishop's cackle faded into the distance.