Chapter 4: Found
The Foot Clan had found them! Mikey wasn't sure how and he didn't really care; that was Donnie's department. All Mikey wanted was a pizza all to himself, some of Raph's Orange Crush, and about two weeks of lazy, movie-watching, April-cuddling R&R… Or not—but anything was better than this!
Mikey regained consciousness slowly. "Dude," he groaned. He couldn't remember a time he'd hurt this bad—not even that time he and Raph had decided to imitate a WWF match and Raph's fat ass had landed a spectacular pile driver on his chest.
Mikey felt a corner of his mouth lift. Nothing like the memory of a cracked plastron and three broken ribs to bring a turtle joy, he thought, opening heavy eyelids and blinking a few times. His beat-to-hell reflection stared back at him. Damn! There were scorch marks on his neck, arms and plastron and a fat line of dried blood ran down the left side of his face. Frowning, Mikey turned his head slightly: it had stained his mask!
Sufficiently peeved over his ruined mask, he mumbled an irritated, "Bastards!" as he took in his limited surroundings. He appeared to be in a giant fish tank—complete with complimentary breathing holes and handcuffs.
Kinky!
Outside his fancy, perforated shoe box was a concrete room filled with shiny, stainless-steel lab stuff and a handful of wide-eyed scientists in white lab coats trying not to gape at him. Mikey smirked at the familiarity of the situation before important plot questions started coming to mind, like: Where am I? How long have I been here? Mikey grimaced, shifting uncomfortably. And how long till I get out? He shook his head. Shouldn'ta drank that last Orange Crush.
Frowning, he shifted his feet again. Or tried.
Mikey looked at his feet. His legs were shackled, too! Looking up again, he stared at his bound wrists and nearly passed out, partially because the quick movement made his head spin, but mostly because there were TUBES sticking out of his skin!
Starting to freak out, Mikey tried to yank himself free but his efforts only rattled his restraints.
"Mikey."
His name was spoken so softly Mikey almost didn't hear it. He turned panicked blue eyes to his left and there was Leo, in his own fish tank with all the same amenities, including the tubes.
Mikey shuddered.
Leo's head bobbed slowly on his neck, eyes dull and drowsy.
Looking past Leo, Mikey could see Donnie, head slumped forward, his chin against his plastron.
Bastard always could sleep anywhere! he thought testily.
But where was Raph?
As if in response, the sharp staccato of automatic gunfire had Leo turning away and Mikey watched the scientists in the lab pause, their movements suddenly hesitant.
Mikey managed a smug smirk. That's right, bitches! Raphie's in da house!
He almost felt sorry for them—almost.
"Keep working," said a man in an expensive-looking suit as he entered the lab, a couple Foot soldiers trailing after him.
Mikey frowned. Damn if that dude didn't look familiar… Wait! Was he that amnesia werewolf dude from All My Offspring who was totally boinkin' his daughter?!
The man's movements were just short of being rushed as he disconnected a narrow, glass canister filled with—Mikey swallowed—blood? "Continue with the extraction," said the man even as he moved toward the door again. "I want all their blood."
Looking at the tubes in his arm again, Mikey fought the urge to scream when he realized the dark one was dark because it was sucking his blood!
This is worse than that vampire apocalypse nightmare, he thought miserably, feeling faint.
There was more gunfire and shouting, closer now.
The man in the suit was gone as quickly as he'd come, taking the canister with him but leaving his Foot cronies.
Mikey stared in dawning horror as another canister slowly started to fill.
"I'm bleedin' out!"
Heart pounding and out of breath, the bloodcurdling scream had brought Mikey sliding to a stop just inside the dojo.
Mona was lying on the floor; Leo's bloody katana was nearby.
Already kneeling beside her, Donnie sighed. "You're not going to bleed out."
Leo and Raph crashed into him from behind and Mikey stumbled forward.
"What happened?" Leo asked urgently, eyeing his katana blade.
Raph swore.
"I'm dying!" Mona cried dramatically.
Shuffling through the first aid kit, Donnie shook his head, looking up as Raph and Leo knelt beside him.
"You're going to be fine," Leo reassured her.
"And then I'm going to kill you," Raph growled.
"Mikey!"
Mikey hesitated. Bruises, broken bones, whatever! But blood? He shuddered.
"Mikey! Mikey, tell my family—except for Raph—tell 'em I love 'em."
A corner of Mikey's mouth lifted despite himself. But he still didn't move any closer.
Donnie hummed and Leo sat back.
Mikey couldn't see either of their faces. What did that mean? he thought desperately, taking a hesitant step forward.
"Mikey! Mikey, there's so much blood!"
Mikey swallowed hard and looked at Raph—who was smirking.
Mikey frowned.
"Oh, the pain! The blood!" She made a horrible gurgling noise.
Shaking his head, Leo got up.
Mona's eyes were closed.
Mikey took another slow step toward her.
Then Raph stuck his hand in the puddle of blood and slapped it against her cheek. Mona's eyes snapped open in fiery outrage.
"That's fer scarin' the crap outta me!" said Raph, licking one of his fingers. "And fer wastin' all the ketchup."
Mikey promptly passed out.
"Leo!"
Mikey blinked, peering through his slumped reflection as Raph charged across the lab, slamming an angry fist against the glass.
Or not glass, Mikey amended deliriously when it didn't break.
Donnie would know what it was.
Raph hit it again and Mikey groaned. Now I know how Shamu feels.
"You are strong, freak."
Mikey's head lolled to the side.
It was the bastard in the awesome metal super suit.
Really hate that guy, he thought as Raph roared furiously and charged.
That initial contact was brutal and not in a "hurray for Raph!" kind of way. Then they were out of sight, on a lower level, Raph grunting and gasping and from the sounds of it, getting his shell kicked.
Mikey tried to muster the strength to pull at his restraints again but only managed a lame wiggle.
Then an angel appeared, hurrying toward them and pressing her hand against the super-glass of his fish tank.
Way better than Raph's ugly mug, Mikey thought, managing a weak smile.
Vern Fenwick was way out of his league here! They'd just busted through the front gate of one of the most powerful men in New York in his company van! And now a robot samurai was kicking the crap out of a huge talking turtle in a loading bay below a vampire lab!
Vern shook his head, glancing at April who was shouting at a turtle wearing glasses.
Glasses! he thought, shaking his head again. What the hell does a turtle need glasses for?
The turtle, Raphael, shouted and Vern looked down again. The samurai had him spread eagle on the ground, his metal foot pressing down on his shell. He's gonna kill 'im, he thought, looking around for something to help. Anything!
A new sound caught his attention and Vern turned again just as a Foot soldier barreled into view. The sound built into a furious roar and the soldier crashed into the metal samurai, sending them both careening out of sight.
What the—?!
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