Slash's Revenge Chapter 46 - Where Is He?, a ninja turtles fanfic

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: I'm so very, very sorry for the long wait on this chapter, my friends, but I'm back and I'm bound and determined to finish this story. Thank you so much for all the support and to everyone still reading 'Slash's Revenge.' It means so incredibly much to me. I appreciate you all more than you know.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the following readers for sharing their thoughts on Chapter 45 of this story: LittleMiss Icequeen, jgrasper22, Pilyarquitect, Ralip71, animegamefanatic, leona, Missbille, and guests. You are all the reason I keep posting. Thank you for inspiring me to continue.

Alright, I'm getting all kinds of emotional here. Let's jump into the chapter. I think you've all waited long enough for this one…

Chapter 46 – Where Is He?

"Can't this thing go any faster?" It seemed like the closer they got to the lair, the more impatient Raphael became.

He wasn't the only one…

Leonardo was getting pretty sick and tired of the snide comments coming from the back of the Shellraiser. If he wasn't so worried about Donatello, the leader in blue would have pulled the vehicle over several miles ago and given his hotheaded brother a piece of his mind. Not that it would have done any good. The temperamental turtle would have just made fun of him for getting his bandana in a knot.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Raph." Leo somehow refrained from telling his brother to stick it in his shell, but there was definitely a 'stick in your shell' tone to his voice.

Raphael's only response came in the form of a growl as he resentfully sank into the back of his seat at the weapons station of the Shellraiser. He was acting like a little kid pouting because he didn't get his way.

Sensing the tension building between his two oldest brothers, Michelangelo aptly pointed out, "We're almost there."

The youngest turtle was right. No more than two minutes later, Leo was pulling the Shellraiser to a stop just outside of the lair.

They all fled out of the vehicle as though it was about to explode. They then leapt over the turnstiles and rushed into the pit of their humble abode. Master Splinter took the lead, with his paws held out in front of himself, prepared to attack anyone who dared to come at him. Behind him, Leonardo and Raphael both drew their weapons while Michelangelo called out for his genius brother.

"Donnie!"

There was initially no response, causing Mikey to call out again, only this time, much, much louder. The panic he was feeling inside was painfully evident, just in the way he yelled out Donatello's nickname.

"DONNIE!"

The four ninjas were about to start searching the premises when April came running towards them, completely out of breath. Her big, blue eyes flooded with fear as she spoke in an uncharacteristically screechy voice. "Guys! Thank goodness you're here!"

Leo was the first to step forward and try to comfort his human friend, curling a hand around her upper left arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. "April! Are you okay? Did you find Donnie?"

In an attempt to regain her lost composure, April drew in a deep, cleansing breath of air, but it didn't seem to help a whole lot. She still felt like she was going to hurl or pass out. Maybe both... "I'm fine, but Donnie… I – I think he's in trouble. Come quick!"

April frantically ushered her friends into Donatello's bedroom where they saw the shattered T-phone strewn out on the floor.

"I guess that would explain why he's not answering our calls." Mikey stated the obvious, mistakenly assuming the busted phone was Donatello's mobile device.

They all made the same mistake…

"DONATELLO!" Raphael roared out his missing brother's full name, anger rising to dangerous levels. The veins in his forehead and neck started to bulge out as if he was about to blow his top.

With her arms wrapped around her narrow waist, April hung her head down low. Her teary eyes stared down at the fragmented corpse of 'Donnie's' phone. "I searched the whole lair. He's not here."

Mikey audibly gasped at this announcement, as though he had been still clinging to the last vestiges of hope that his brother was still somewhere in the lair. The revelation that Donnie was, in fact, missing, was absolutely devastating.

The youngest turtle couldn't go through this again…

He just couldn't.

Big brother mode activated, Leonardo turned towards Mikey, who was visibly upset. The eldest turtle was fully planning on consoling his baby brother when he noticed that Master Splinter was intently staring at the doorway.

Forgetting all about Mikey, Leo quickly approached his father.

"What is it, Sensei?"

"The door." Master Splinter paused for a moment to curb his rising temper. The more evidence they found suggesting something violent had befallen his gentlest son, the more enraged the father became. He was having a difficult time keeping his fury reigned in. "The lock has been broken."

Again, Mikey gasped, which only made April feel worse than she already did.

"This is all my fault. If I would've just seen Mikey's text sooner… " April left the sentence hanging, too ashamed to finish it.

"No, April. This isn't your fault. If you would've been here with Donnie, Slash may have taken you, too."

Cringing over his own words, Leonardo's expression turned remorseful. The truth sounded so awful, he hated himself for even saying such a thing.

The mere thought of Slash kidnapping Donatello again…

It was too much to take.

How could Leo have been so stupid as to let this happen? He should have known Slash was out there just waiting for them to screw up. And boy, had they screwed up. Leo should have never left Donatello behind. The leader had just played right into Slash's hands…

"We don't know it was Slash." Denial was strong with the youngest turtle.

He didn't want to believe that monster had captured his brother again.

Nor did he want to think about what that monster had done to poor Donnie.

And he certainly didn't want to think about what that monster could be doing to Donnie right now.

If Slash tortured the genius turtle like he had before, the damage could be irreversible.

No!

Mikey couldn't bear to face the truth. It was just easier for him to pretend like it wasn't happening.

"It could have… It could have been someone else."

"Mikey, who else could it be?" There was no anger in Raphael's tone as he posed this question. Only sympathy. He knew his youngest sibling was just having a hard time coming to terms with reality. They all were.

"Maybe one of the Shredder's goons figured out where the lair is. Or it could have possibly been the Kraang! Those dudes would love to get their tentacles on one of us."

"Mikey! You say that like it would be a good thing!" Sullenly placing his hands on his hips, Leo let his posture show his growing disgust. He understood his youngest brother was in a state of denial, but Mikey was making it sound as though being captured by Shredder's cronies or the Kraang was the brighter side of things. Almost like he was hoping that's what had happened.

"I'm just saying we can't be totally sure it was Slash who took him." Now it was Mikey who had his hands on his hips, letting his stubborn side come out.

Not wanting to argue with his baby brother any further on the matter, Leonardo did what any good leader would do. He asked his sensei. "Master Splinter, what do you think?"

All eyes were now upon Master Splinter, whose long face fell into a pronounced frown. "I am deeply sorry, Michelangelo, but I can say with some degree of certainty that Slash has been here. I can still smell his foul stench in this room." Appalled by the lingering scent, Master Splinter's frown soon shifted into a bitter scowl as he glared at the broken lock on the door.

How frightened his intellectual son must have been to face his captor after all that had come to pass.

It pained Master Splinter to know that they had made the grave mistake of leaving Donatello alone in the lair, but not as much as it was going to pain Slash when the family finally found him. Master Splinter could see the animosity painted on all their faces. Raphael already looked as though he was liable to snap at any second. Leonardo had always been better at masking his anger, but he, too, looked as if he was the verge of cracking. April, who had apparently gotten past her guilt, was now looking rather livid. Not Raphael-livid, but livid just the same.

Then there was Michelangelo. His expression was not quite so easy to read. It appeared to be a cross between loathing, determination, and perhaps, excitement?

The last emotion seemed a bit out of place given the rather grim circumstances. Then, the youngest turtle spoke in a voice that couldn't contain his sudden elation. "That's it! That's how we can find them! Sensei! He can use his super sense of smell to track down Donnie!"

Master Splinter let out a soft groan before responding. "Need I remind you, I am a rat, not a bloodhound?" While Master Splinter appreciated his child's undying faith in him, he didn't appreciate his son making him sound as though he was a well-trained dog.

"Aw, don't be so modest, Sensei. You should have no problem picking up their trail! You said it yourself: Slash stinks!" With that said, Mikey motioned for his father to hurry up and do his thing. There was no time to waste. The smallest turtle didn't want the trail to go cold.

Though he truly felt like doing a facepalm, Master Splinter instead opted to rub a paw against his right temple area. He knew his youngest child was only attempting to help. Hence the reason the Ninjutsu master tried his very best to keep any hint of frustration out of his voice as he spoke. "Michelangelo, even if I could pick up the scent, I would lose it once we step foot outside of the lair."

"Why?"

Mikey may have been a little slow on the uptake, not getting his father's point, but the others knew exactly what Master Splinter was getting at. Raphael was quick to clarify his father's meaning. "Uh, we live in the sewers, Mikey. In case you haven't noticed lately, it smells real bad."

Eyes widening with dawning comprehension, Mikey felt an overwhelming sense of panic wash over him. "Then how are we gonna find Donnie?"

The question made all their chests tighten with dread as they looked to one another for an answer none of them possessed.

How were they going to find Donnie?

They knew from experience that Slash knew how to disappear without a trace.

If he hadn't been foolish enough to come out of hiding to spy on them, they may have never found him or Donnie.

What if Slash didn't slip up this time?

Would that mean they would never see Donnie again?

His family's lack of response was freaking Mikey out. It was bad enough his brother was missing, but now, his family didn't have a clue what to do about it.

This was so not good!

"Dudes, we've gotta find him! We can't let Slash hurt him again!"

Hearing Mikey's heartfelt plea instantly reminded Raph of the promise he had made Donatello the first time Slash had turtlenapped him…

"Listen, Donnie! It's gonna be okay. You've just gotta hold on for a little bit longer. Can you do that for me? I promise you that I'm gonna find you soon. I won't let him hurt you again, little brother. And I swear on my life that I will make him pay!"

Once again, Donnie was at the hands of a crazy turtle.

But this time, things were going to be different. Raph would personally see to that. He would be shelled before he broke his promise again.

Raphael peered over at Mikey with a fiercely determined glint in his green eyes.

"Mikey's right! We've gotta find him! I'm sure Slash is on foot, so he couldn't have gotten very far. Not if he has Donnie with him. If we split up, we can cover more ground. I can take the rooftops on the North and East side of the city. Mikey, you take the West and South. Leo, you – "

Before Raphael could finish what he had to say, Leo's tentative voice cut him off. "Raph, do you really think splitting up is a good idea? You and I both know how dangerous it is to take Slash on by yourself."

"We don't have time to argue about this, Leo." A low growl from Raph warned Leonardo the hotheaded turtle was not in the mood for his big brother's crap right now.

Leonardo held his hands out in front of him to show truce. He didn't want to argue, either. Now was not the time…

"I just think we should at least pair up. There is safety in numbers."

"Fine! We can pair up. Sensei and April, you take – "

Once again, Raphael was rudely interrupted before he could finish, only this time, it wasn't Leonardo. It was his T-phone ringing out. Annoyed by the disruption, Raph was half-tempted to hang up on the caller, but the only other person who knew his number that wasn't currently in the room was Casey Jones. If they were going out searching for Slash, they could really use Casey's help right about now.

Grabbing hold of his phone, Raph was about to answer when he saw that the incoming call wasn't from Casey at all.

It was from…

"Donnie?"

Taken aback, Raph briefly exchanged a wary glance with Leo before answering his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Raphael. How's it goin'?"

Hearing that gravelly sounding voice on the other side of the line made Raph squeeze the outer housing around his phone so tight, the casing nearly cracked in his taut grip.

It felt as though history was cruelly repeating itself.

Raph didn't know if he had the strength to go through this again.

Judging by the horrified looks on his family's faces, they were feeling much the same way. Leonardo and April just stood there staring slack-jawed at Raphael, not knowing what else to do. Master Splinter's eyes were fixed on the floor as he fought to contain his anger. Michelangelo paced around the room, full of nervous energy as always.

"Where's my brother, Slash?" Raph's demand was firm, but held no resentment. He was doing his best to keep the situation calm for Donatello's sake.

There came a hoarse laugh followed by a snarky response. "Which one?"

"Don't play games with me, Slash. Just tell me where Donnie is." Again, Raph's voice didn't show any signs of anger, although he was feeling plenty of it inside. He just kept reminding himself that he could unleash all his pent-up hostility on Slash once he found Donnie.

"All in good time, Raphael. All in good time." Slash spoke in an exaggerated soothing tone, which was like a cold slap to the face, but Raph had to hold it together.

Like a river over stone…

Drawing in a deep breath, Raph somehow managed to keep his temper under control, but it was no easy task. "Let me talk to him."

Again, Slash laughed, and again, his response was on the snarky side. "Oh, I don't think so."

"Please, Slash." The words were soft and beseeching as Raphael desperately tried to appeal to Slash's sympathetic side, assuming Slash had a sympathetic side. Raphael wasn't so sure anymore. Not now that he knew what Slash was truly capable of.

"NO! I'M THE ONE CALLING THE SHOTS HERE!"

The whole family cringed at Slash's thunderous and sudden mood shift, hoping against hope that the larger mutant didn't take his rage out on Donatello like he had before.

"Okay, okay. But I need to know… Did you hurt him?" The fact that Raphael hadn't heard a peep out of Donnie was weighing heavily on the red-masked turtle's mind.

Was Donatello so frightened he didn't dare make a sound?

Or had Slash done something to silence him?

"Heh. Not yet."

While the revelation that Slash had not hurt Donnie brought some small sense of relief, Raphael still shuddered in his shell. The ominous way Slash had spoken the words implied that it was only a matter of time before he did hurt Donnie. Almost as if he was just waiting for the right time to strike.

Raphael couldn't stop himself from thinking back to his previous phone call with Slash.

The memory of what Slash had done to Donatello that night was still fresh in Raphael's brain…

"Do you think that Donatello's arm is fully healed yet?"

"Slash, please! D – Don't do this! Please, I'm asking you… Please, don't hurt him!"

"So, who do you think this'll hurt more, Raphael? Donatello or you?"

Like so many times before, the awful sound of Donatello screaming in pain filled Raphael's head, making it nearly impossible to focus.

What if the only reason Slash was calling was to make them listen to Donnie suffer again?

The thought alone was tearing Raphael apart inside.

That night would forever haunt him…

"Donnie? Donnie! Say something!"

"Wow! I really enjoyed hearing your brother scream like that, Raphael. Did you?"

"YOU!"

"So, I'm guessing that that hurt Donatello a lot more than it did you, but maybe we need another demonstration, just to be sure. What do you think, Raphael? You wanna hear it again?"

"Y – You! You monster! You spineless coward! I will hunt you down and I will take you out! You hear me? TAKE! YOU! OUT! I'll rip your shell off! You… you – "

That had been the precise moment Raphael had lost his ability to function. He remembered it all too well. His whole body had basically just shut down on him. Hearing his little brother wail out in pain like that… It was all too much. Raph hadn't even been able to finish the conversation with Slash, forcing Leonardo to step in.

And now, he felt as though he was shutting down once more. He just couldn't bear the thought of Donnie being tortured by that monster again.

A part of Raphael was half-tempted to hand the phone over to Leonardo now to spare himself the pain and humiliation of losing it in front of his family once more, but another part of Raphael felt like he owed it to Donatello to stay on the line. Like he deserved to suffer for what he had done to his poor little brother.

The latter part won out…

"Tell me what you want, Slash. What do I need to do to get him back?" Raphael's voice cracked as he spoke, a clear sign of weakness, but he didn't care that Slash had heard it. That they all had. All he cared about was Donnie.

"I just wanna talk."

This threw the red-masked turtle for a bit of a loop. Not just the words themselves, but the way Slash had uttered them. The sudden absence of malice in the larger mutant's tone made Raphael nervous. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"Not over the phone. I wanna meet, face to face. Just you and me."

The color quickly fled from Raphael's cheeks and he momentarily lost his ability to speak. If it would've been just he and Slash meeting face to face, Raphael would've agreed to it in a heartbeat. But this? This would be a hostage situation without backup. Raph was more than willing to risk his own life, but his brother's? No way.

Unfortunately, the hotheaded turtle didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Slash was holding Donnie prisoner, which meant that monster held all the cards. Raph had to play by his rules or his little brother would suffer the consequences.

"All right. You name the time and place."

Though Leonardo could not hear the actual conversation going on, he seemed to have put the pieces together, for he was adamantly shaking his head 'no' as Raphael gave into Slash's terms.

Raph couldn't help but to roll his eyes over Leonardo's reaction. The fearless leader could be such a hypocrite at times. Had the proverbial shoe been on the other foot, Raphael knew damn well the blue-clad ninja would've jumped at the chance to meet up with Slash. Sometimes, it was as if Leonardo thrived off trying to sacrifice himself for the so-called greater good.

"Midnight. The south tunnels where you used to bring me whenever you needed to get away from your family. You know the place."

How could Raph not know the place? He had brought Spike there whenever he had needed to blow off some steam, which was a lot more than the average turtle…

It wasn't easy to find, for obvious reasons, but Raphael knew the way like the back of his palm. It was several miles from the lair; an underground sanctuary hidden away in the darkest depths of the sewers. The perfect cavernous space for Raph to yell to his heart's content and never have to worry about anyone hearing him. Plenty far enough away so his family couldn't find him, which was exactly why Slash had chosen the location.

"Yeah, I know it."

"You will come alone, without any tracking devices on you. I mean it. If I so much as see your T-phone or any signs of your other brothers or Sensei lurking about, it won't bode well for Donatello. I can promise you that."

The clear threat instantly made Raphael's blood run cold. There was no doubt in his mind that Slash would make good on his word. That even the slightest deviation from that monster's sinister plan would end badly for Donnie.

As much as Raphael wanted to threaten Slash right back, the temperamental ninja had to bite his tongue in order to protect his little brother. He wasn't about to risk Donnie's life for the temporary satisfaction of telling Slash off. He, instead, chose to play the uncharacteristic role of the submissive one.

"I understand." Raphael paused several long-drawn-out seconds before earnestly adding, "Please don't hurt him, Slash."

"Be there at midnight." There was an unspoken 'or else' in Slash's tone that once again made Raphael's blood run cold. It ran even colder still when Slash abruptly disconnected the call, leaving Raph to wonder if he'd ever see his missing brother alive again.

To be continued…

*More Author's Notes: This chapter is honestly more than I can bear. The thought of Donnie in Slash's hands again kills me inside. He's been through so much already. Our poor, poor Donnie…

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