Hello, everyone. Short chapter today.

If you haven't noticed already, chapter 7 has be revised due to some copyright concerns from another author. Please take a look at it again, if you haven't already.

Chapter 9

Jax was hoping Michelangelo would be willing to trust him, but the Turtle was still resisting no matter how hard Jax tried to convince him that Jax wouldn't hurt him. He had to leave him in the cellar today.

"I hope he's doing okay. Karentin can take care of herself, so I'm not worried about the Turtle attacking her. Still, I wish there was some way to get him to trust me."

The young Triceraton was lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize Erkon approach him.

"Hey," Erkon said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. Jax snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the older Triceraton.

"Good morning," he greeted. He reached into his vest and took out the file. "Thanks for lending me the file."

Erkon glanced around before he accepted the file back quietly. He put the file in his locker so no one would find it.

"Did anyone catch you with it?"

"No," Jax shook his head. "No one saw me with it. The file is still top secret."

"Good," Erkon sighed with relief. "It's improper for me to share top secret information with someone of lower rank, let alone a counselor. If anyone knew I made an acception for you..." He didn't finished, but Jax knew they had taken a risk by exchanging top secret information regarding the Turtles.

"I know. I appropriate it."

The two brothers began preparing for the day. They were usually one of the few officers who arrived for the day shift before the other soldiers arrived. But this didn't mean they were friends. The brothers had a troubled past with one another, and so they had little trust for each other. But Jax was confident in believing that his older brother Erkon would be there for him if Jax was ever in real danger.

"I notice you don't have the orange one with you today," Erkon broke the silence between them. "Is he too much to handle? You should really try breaking him, that's the only way they'll listen."

Jax frowned hearing this, so much for his brief blissful thoughts on his older brother. "That's not your concern. I'll train him how I see fit. Pain and torture are not the only ways to get prisoners to obey you. There's also trust."

"Trust?" Erkon scoffed. "What good is that? Criminals only obey to one thing, and that is force. Be gentle with them and they'll only listen when they feel like they should."

Jax said nothing as he continued to prepare himself for the day ahead. It was obvious they were still too different from each other to see eye to eye again.

Jax wondered how the other Turtles were doing. Maybe if he knew, he could tell Michelangelo and maybe it will help the Turtle cope with the separation.

"What about the other Turtles? Are they doing alright?"

"I haven't talked about them with the other commanders," Erkon told him as he strapped on his belt. "Their condition is not my concern."

"What about the one in your custody?" Jax asked him.

"He's a tough one. But I left him to my subordinates last night. They should give me a report on his condition soon."

"Report?" Jax asked, feeling uneasy. "What did you order they do to him?"

"It's as you said, Jax," Erkon told him as he turned to leave the room. "It's not your concern."

Erkon strode to the cell holding Leonardo. He was confident that his subordinates were successful with their mission. Jax may be afraid to punish prisoners, but he wasn't. It's the way things are here at prison.

But his little brother was of little concern to Erkon. What was really bothering him was the rumors about the secret anti-group that calls themselves the 'rebellion'. Ever since those Turtles caused supreme leader Zanramon to lose his rightful place as the planet's ruler, that 'rebellion' has been a nuisance.

He approached the cell and opened the door with his keycard. He walked in and was saluted by his subordinates.

"Erkon, Sir! We have been successful in our mission."

"Good," Erkon smiled. "The Turtle?"

"See for yourself," his subordinate on the left said as he turned to face their prisoner.

Out of the shadows stepped Leonardo, no longer peering at these Triceratons with hate or disgust. He stood at attention with his arms folded behind his back like a soldier waiting for orders.

"He looks impressive on the outside," Erkon observed. "But will he follow our orders?"

"Why don't you ask him for yourself, sir?" the subordinate on the right told him. "He's awaiting for your demands."

Erkon approached the Turtle. "Leonardo, do you know who I am?"

"I do," Leonardo nodded. He gave the same salute as the Triceratons as he spoke. "You are commander Erkon. You are my leader."

"And who are you loyal to?"

"The Triceraton Republic."

Erkon smiled as he looked the Turtle over again. He turned to his subordinates.

"You have done well with the hypnotism. I can see he's obedient."

"We promised we would not fail you, Sir," the left subordinate told him. "It took all night for us to convince him to join us, but he'll do whatever we ask him now."

"Leonardo," Erkon turned back to the Turtle. "I have a mission for you."

"I will do whatever you command, Sir Erkon. What are your orders?"

"I want you to become a soldier in the Triceraton army. But I fear your brothers won't listen to reason. Convince them to join the Triceratons as well, and you shall all live on this planet as free creatures."

Leonardo saluted. He was no longer the same Turtle as the headstrong Turtle who arrived at the prison. He understood his place now. There was no need to fight these creatures, they were far more superior than he was. The only way to live now was to be loyal to them.

"I shall do as you command." Leo told them. But a thought lingered in the back of his mind. Who were the 'Turtles' Erkon was reffering to?