I'm so sorry I'm so late..real life stinks sometimes.

Ok! Back to Ensnared. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the bonus chapter, it was really fun to write!

On with the show!

"Mikey, are ya sure this is the way?"

Michelangelo sighed, shooting his older brother a small glare over his shoulder. His features softened though when he saw the same anxiety in Raphael's amber gaze that was roiling in his gut. "Yeah, Raph, I remember this area from my dream."

The red clad ninja shook his head, "Just shows how messed up our live are, that I don't even fight against followin' Mikey's dream ta find Leo."

"Messed up," Donatello panted next to them, fingers flying as he adjusted the object in his hands, "or just really, really interesting?"

Raphael paused, then shrugged, "I'll let ya know my final answer after we rescue Fearless." He grunted.

The unspoken insinuation that Leonardo's survival would effect his opinion hung between the three brothers. None wanted to acknowledge it, in fact they made a point not to. They needed to cling to hope with an unyielding grip, determination thrumming in their very souls that they would somehow come out on top again and rescue their brother and leader. Mikey turned his baby blue eyes back to the trail ahead, hands clenched into fists, and his feet pounding into the dirt and grass forest floor. They would rescue Leo. They had to.

"Donnie, whatcha got there, anyways?" Raphael had always been a nervous talker, much like the youngest, although his conversation was often heavy with impatient growls.

Donatello barely acknowledged Raph's question, his focus on his device and running keeping him fairly busy, "The Daimyo said this thing hates sunlight," he stated, tone succinct, "I'm really lucky that I even thought to bring along my latest project to the nexus. I had thought I could work on it, I didn't realize it could save Leo's life."

"And that project would be?" The red turtle prodded.

"A high powered sun lamp!" Donnie announced with aplomb, holding the device up so his brothers could see, "I've been meaning to create one for us, so we can get some basking in at the lair if things get busy again but I just haven't had the time. I figured with us going on vacation, I could continue to tinker on it and finally get the thing finished!"

Raphael assessed the lamp, looking it over as they ran. "It doesn't really look like much," he mumbled.

Don withered, pouting as he turned back to concentrate on running and getting his project battle ready, "It wasn't designed for use in missions," he groused, "it's supposed to be a basking lamp, but I've juiced it up. In its current state, it would burn, not bask. Which already makes it stronger than the sunlight in the nexus."

"I get it," Mikey nodded, shooting his genius brother a wide approving grin, "you wanna burn the thing that's got Leo with your lamp."

"Precisely," the purple ninja smirked, "I've got it maxed out to full power."

"Why do I sense a but coming next?" Raph grumbled.

Donnie sighed, grimacing sheepishly, "But," he nodded, "I can't guarantee how long it'll work. This kind of power takes a lot of juice, and as it is, the energy source I brought can only do so much for so long. I have only two batteries capable of powering this baby. At most we might do enough damage to rescue Leo and then get out of there."

"That's fine with me," the red ninja grunted, "we're not here ta do the Daimyo's dirty work. We're gettin' in there, snatching Fearless, and gettin' out. Any questions?"

"Nope!" Mikey chirped, his mood substantially improved due to not only knowing where their brother was, but having a plan of attack to go along with it, "I think we'll need some way to trap it though, no way am I just leaving a creepy skin wearing monster free to continue eating people. Much less Leo. Or us, for that matter."

"Mikey's got a point," Donnie panted, putting the lamp away and urging his feet to go faster, "maybe we can seal it back in, like the Daimyo's ancestor did, do you remember the layout of the place from your dream?"

The orange turtle nodded, "After the front door, we go through a smaller door in the wall. Then we go down the creepiest set of wooden stairs known to man, and underneath giant metal cellar doors is where we'll find Leo. At least, I think we will…"

"What do ya mean, think?!" Raphael snarled.

"I woke up from the dream before I could look and see," Mikey groaned as his bombastic older brother released an unhappy growl, "Look, I'm not Leo! I don't have meditation and mystic powers down to a science the way he does. I'm doing the best I can here!"

"Well, ya need ta do better!" Raph snapped.

"Raphie, you know what Leo says about fighting on a mission!" Don bit back.

The red ninja grumbled under his breath, straining to reign in his temper, before giving a bitter mutter, "Yeah, I know, I'm just stressed is all."

"We all are!" Michelangelo spat, "However, I'm not being a jerk all because I'm terrified out of my shell for Leo! So, as our fearless leader would say, channel that anger where it can be put to use, and stop taking it out on your family."

Raphael didn't have a retort for that nugget of wisdom, and that only made the turtle angrier. However, Mikey had a point, and Raph wasn't too proud to admit he needed that kick in the tail. Ducking his head, Raphael added an extra burst of speed, urging their team faster. The group ducked into a bamboo glade, entering the abandoned ruins of the village, and Donatello felt his skin crawl at the macabre scene. Everything was as Mikey's dream had said, the blackened and crumbling buildings giving credibility to the orange ninja's claim about knowing the location of their eldest sibling. However, they didn't have time to appreciate the view, darting forward, purple and red continued following the youngest.

"See?!" Mikey exclaimed, gesturing with a hand to their surroundings as he sprinted towards a ruin looming in the distance, "We're almost there!"

Raphael squinted his eyes, assessing the building that Michelangelo stated was their destination. A chill stole through his shell, making the fiery turtle give an uncharacteristic shiver. If he didn't already know about the skin walker, Raphael still would have known something evil lay in that house. Something dark and treacherous. A monster that pined for blood, and left destruction in its every footstep.

The red ninja double checked the straps going across his shoulders, fingers grazing worn but meticulously cared for leather sheaths.

He had brought Leo's swords with him. As they were gearing up and Donnie was scrambling to gather up the pieces of his sun lamp, Raphael could almost hear the souls of Leonardo's katana crying out for vengeance, yearning to be reunited to their master. Raph wasn't normally one for mystic mumbo jumbo, but in this, he was willing to lend a little credence to his big brother's belief that some blades had a spirit all their own. So, he gathered them up, and strapped them to his shell. Michelangelo and Don had paused, confusion marring their gaze, until they saw the grim determination blazing behind liquid gold eyes.

Leo may not be in any state to use his swords, he could already be injured and helpless, but even so; Raphael would ensure that Leonardo's katana tasted the blood of the monster that dared take his brother. He was certain his leader would agree, despite being dangerously sentimental to the brawler, it seemed the honorable thing to do. And Leo was all about honor.

"In here!"

Raphael snapped out of his thoughts as Mikey dove through the gaping maw of the mansion, disappearing inside. Red and purple followed, the wooden porch creaking as they sped across it and into the foyer.

"WHOA!"

Raph's yell echoed among crumbling rafters as he screeched to a stop, nearly bulldozing Michelangelo, "Jeez, Mikey!" The bombastic turtle growled, "give a warnin' before ya brake like that!"

Mikey turned, and with tearful eyes, presented an item that made Raphael's annoyance gutter like a flame drowned in a bucket of ice water. A blue bandana, more specifically, Leo's mask. "It was on the floor," the youngest quavered.

Donatello drew a deep breath, then strode forward to take the strip of material from his youngest brother's trembling hands, "I don't see any blood," in a tone overflowing with barely restrained emotion, "that means he's not hurt."

"But why would he leave it on the floor?" The orange ninja asked.

"It's a sign just for us," Raphael rumbled, pulling Leo's katana from their sheaths, "he wanted ta make sure we knew ta look for him here. He did everything in his power ta fight long enough ta leave us a clue so we can rescue him. Now it's our turn."

Shoulders heaving, Raph could feel the familiar burn of his signature fury sear across his eyes, leaving a veil of red. His frame trembled with bloodlust, and the very depths of his being howled for battle, slavering to avenge his big brother, "Donnie," the red turtles words were a snarl, but his brothers weren't afraid, they knew that Raphael was gearing up for a fight, "get that lamp ready, we're gonna go down there, and we're gonna get Leo. And nothin', I mean NOTHIN', is gonna stand in our way!"

Not waiting for their answers, Raphael stomped towards the door Mikey had described earlier, and kicked it down, listening as the wooden frame clattered down the steps. "You were right, Mikey," he stated, looking through the hole and down into a dark abyss, "there's the stairs."

"Now we just need to go down." the orange turtle shuddered, every cell in his body revolting against the idea of traversing such cursed looking steps. However, Mikey shook his head free of his dark imaginings, "This is for Leo," he grunted, putting on a stern battle ready face, "I'd go down a hundred steps like these if it means saving my bro."

Raph nodded approvingly, clapping his baby brother on the shoulder, "That's the spirit!"

"The lamp is ready to go!" Donnie reported.

"Then let's haul shell!"

Mikey and Donnie allowed Raphael the honor of going first, and the three brothers made quick work of the winding stair. Silence following them down into the darkness of the basement. All focused and mentally ready for the battle that lay ahead. They would not consider that it was too late. Once again refusing to acknowledge the icy terror that Leo was beyond help burning in their guts. Staunchly standing against the darkness, much like that basement, stretching in the back of their minds that they would find their beloved brother dead. No, their determination was a wildfire that roared behind narrowed eyes, their hearts beating in unison thundering to rescue their missing leader.

Hitting the dirt floor at full speed, Mikey surged forward to take the lead. This time he would fling those cellar doors open. Nothing was stopping him from rescuing Leo. The aged hinges shrieked as Mikey pulled, the metal doors clanging against stone and the three terrapins dove headlong through the hole, and into what was most assuredly a nightmare.

The room could only be described as a dungeon, cold stone walls making the ninjas shiver apprehensively, and the tang of death hung heavy in the air. Michelangelo couldn't hold back the gasp of revulsion as he saw the corpses littering the floor, but refused to look away. In the space of a millisecond, he scanned among the floor trying to see any trace of green, but thankfully found not a single turtle shaped body among the cadavers. The orange ninja gave a sigh of relief, but jumped when he felt Raphael bellow.

"LEO!"

Mikey then realized he had made the mistake of focusing on the first thing he saw, because before his eyes was the rest of the room. Leonardo was lying on a steel table leaking precious blood, eyes fluttering and limbs lax as he was drained. The sight made Michelangelo's heart skip several beats, and the thing he saw looming over his brother's pale form almost made it stop altogether. It's gangly body, complete with its rats nest of hair made it appear wild. Skittering fingers twitched and trembled as a single large eye and a ravenous mouth lined with needle sharp teeth opened behind the ragged curtain of hair.

"Whoa!" Mikey shrieked "That's too much ugly for one face, dude!"

Raphael could only nod in agreement, oh yeah, it was ugly, but they had a mission to complete. Pointing one of Leo's katana at the beast, the red ninja gave his most threatening snarl, "Yer gonna give us back our bro, and yer gonna do it now!"

"You will not take it's new suit," the skin walker hissed menacingly, it's body shivering with bloodlust and rage, "it will make it's new suit from Leonardo and then it shall have it's revenge. You will not take him!"

"Yes we are," Donnie growled, "not only that, but we're going to make sure that you'll never escape this hole, ever again!"

"It thinks not," the skin walker stated, giving a wide malicious grin, before opening its maw wide in a roar, "It. Will. FEAST!"

Donatello didn't reply, cranking up the lamp until it hummed with power, then the genius cast one strong beam at the monster eliciting a satisfying screech of pain. It's sensitive skin, translucent and fragile, crackled and blackened as easy as flash paper, and soon the creature was visibly smoking. It's frame thrashing under the harsh beam, trying to use its hair as a shield, but ultimately failing as it writhed in agony. Donnie was not one who enjoyed inflicting pain on others, he was an explorer, a creator, he liked building more than senseless destruction. Although, he did enjoy watching things he created go boom, it was never meant to hurt others. This time though, he allowed himself a snarling smile, eyes narrow as he aimed the lamp at the monster who abducted his brother

However, just as the scientist had stated earlier, the lamp quickly ran out of juice, flickering out as it audibly powered down. "That's all we got for now," the scientist reported, "I have to get the other battery into it before I can use it again."

"Got it!" Raphael barked, muscles bunching as he prepared his assault, "Donnie, get Leo and then get the lamp ready ta make an exit. Mikey, ya come with me, we're gonna show this thing it messed with the wrong turtle!"

"RIGHT!"

Donatello sprinted to the table, teeth grit hard enough to make his molars creak in protest. Leo's far too still body lay on the table with the blood draining out of his leg, it was enough to make the turtle sick. Ducking his purple masked head, the intellectual smirked when he heard the smack of bodies crashing into each other, accompanied by Raph's signature roar of fury. No doubt his older brother had tackled the creature to the ground. Donnie wanted dearly to check, but he didn't allow himself the luxury. Leonardo needed him, and he was already dangerously low on blood as it was.

Sliding to a stop at his leader's side, the turtle nearly slipped and fell, feet sweeping out from under him as the dirt shifted underneath. Flailing arms barely had time to snatch the table before his face met floor, but the genius was able to haul his body back on its feet. Wide eyes assessing the open wound, Donatello searched his bag for something he could use as a tourniquet, fingers scrambling through his bag of gear, heart thundering with urgency. The scientist was growling in impatient frustration until he remembered he still had Leo's bandana. Picking up his brother's leg, Don wrapped the mask as tightly as he could manage around the limb, then tied it off with one of his signature knots. In the words of Samwise Gamgee, this knot won't come free in a hurry.

With anxiety ridden chocolate eyes, Donatello watched as the flow of blood finally began to slow, and then stop. Breathing a ten ton sigh filled to the brim with relief, the purple ninja turned to check over his eldest brother. Leo had certainly seen better days, that was for sure.

He was pale, his usually leaf green skin depleted to a wan mint. Broad shoulders trembled feebly, and each breath rattled in his chest. His sides were littered with ugly purple bruises, with a particularly painful looking one on his left shoulder. Cracked lips had a slightly blue tinge, giving evidence to not only dangerous dehydration, but also hypothermia. Donatello clenched his hands into fists, his normally pacifist nature taking a firm back seat, but another crash reminded him they did not have time to get angry. His job was to get Leo to safety while Raph and Mikey kept the monster busy. Leaning down, the purple ninja gathered his eldest brother, one hand behind his head while the other gently bracing his shoulder.

Donnie grunted as he heaved Leo's dead weight into a semi-sitting position, but almost lost his grip when his brother startled at his touch. Sapphire eyes were glazed behind fluttering eyelids, dull and unfocused, and a soft whine whimpered up the eldest's throat. Leo's form twitched and twisted, making a pathetic attempt to escape, but ultimately could not even move his fingers much less his limbs. The sound of protest increased in urgency, the young leader tossing his head, struggling with all his diminished might against the hands holding him.

"No…" he whispered, voice dry and crackling, "leave….leave me….alone…"

The purple ninja scrambled to keep his grip on his brother, almost losing it when Leo managed to give a fretful toss, "It's me, aniki, it's Donnie!"

Leonardo didn't seem to hear him, his teeth clenching in a harsh grimace as he continued thrashing, body slowly regaining its strength. Although it was not even a tenth of his usual vigor, the eldest turtle's valiant effort to resist didn't make it easy on Don to keep him still. Chest heaving with ragged breaths, Leo released an agonized groan, no doubt the injuries he'd sustained were screaming with every weak thrash. That didn't stop him though. Leonardo was nothing if not stubborn. Donatello yelped as the blue ninja gave a particularly strong pull away from him, almost dropping his struggling sibling back onto the unforgiving steel table.

"Leo!" Donatello gasped, regaining purchase on the scutes of his brother's shell, "I'm not trying to hurt you! It's Donnie, we're here to rescue you! Please, ani!"

With that last desperate plea, something seemed to click in Leonardo's mind. Whether it was a moment of revelation, or he finally recognized his younger brother's voice, the young leader finally stilled. The blue eyes, normally so strong and wise, sharpened as lucidity crept back into the weary gaze, "Don-nie?" Leo croaked, voice trembling with what must have been a maelstrom of emotions, "you…real?"

The question broke Donatello's heart, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as his thumb stroked the green scaly cheek of his sibling, "H-Hai, aniki, it's me, I'm real."

Blue eyes closed making twin trails of tears make their silent trek down the sides of his face. The green throat swallowed convulsively, and broad shoulders shook hard enough to make the scientist tighten his grip. "I'm…not dead?" The question was so quiet, Donatello almost missed it, "It didn't….didn't…" Leo gave another rough swallow, before he spoke again, his tone quavering with repressed sobs, "am I…still me?"

Donatello bent over his leader, touching their foreheads, breathing in his sibling's scent, and giving Leonardo something tactile to reassure him that rescue had truly come, "We got here in time, aniki, you're going to be just fine."

The blue ninja nodded, not trusting himself to speak for fear of bursting into tears. Donnie couldn't help a grieved smile. It was just like Leo to not let himself break down until they were safely out of their situation. Speaking of which…

…

Raphael dove forward, slamming into the still smoking and screeching monster. Donatello had made it to Leo's side, and was busy tying a tourniquet around the bleeding leg. Seeing his eldest brother safe in their family medic's hands, the red ninja allowed himself the luxury of focusing on their opponent, venting the rage that had been building for the past three days on the creature. In a deadly dance, Raphael and Michelangelo whirled around the creature, dealing out ruthless strikes, their eyes grim and merciless.

The creature howled, stroking out with its sentient hair, capturing Mikey by the leg, tugging him out of his stance and slamming him into the dirt floor. The orange ninja grunted in pain, pulling back against the hair, "Raph!"

The red ninja sped to his baby brothers side, katana at the ready. While he was not nearly the master Leo was, he could still wield the blades with deadly efficiency. Raphael twirled the katana in his hands, building momentum before giving a clean slice through the strands, freeing his youngest sibling and sending the detached strands of hair writhing across the floor. The monster shrieked, though in pain or anger, Raphael wasn't sure. Michelangelo surged back to his feet, darting forward to land multiple thwacks with his nunchucks to the skin walker's torso, each hit resulting in the crackling of fractured bones that prompted a wail of pain from the monster.

Raphael took this opportunity to side-step under Mikey's devastating swings, merging into the flurry of blows with well practiced ease, and swung Leo's katana in an upward slice with his right arm giving the monster a bloody gash on its side. The left arm was busy defending his youngest brother from the fury of waves of hair trying to capture the orange ninja and ultimately stop his barrage. Wave after wave of ebony tresses fell as Raphael wielded the twin blades, the razor sharp steel glinting like falling stars in the dim light. However, Raph wasn't used to fighting with the katana, and in his fury he left himself open for attack.

The monster thrust a fresh wave of sentient hair at the two siblings, Raph unable to defend in time could only feel surprise and horror buzz through the back of his brain as he and Mikey were sent flying across the room. The terrapins slammed into the stone wall, both barely acknowledging the rotted wooden shelves that their shells obliterated upon impact. With twin grunts of pain, the duo fell into the dirt floor, sprawled on their plastrons. Mikey groaned, shaking his head as he picked himself back up, and drug himself to his hands and knees.

"Is it just me," the youngest gasped, wobbling as his vision gave an agonizing spin, "or is this thing tough to take down?"

"It took down Leo," Raph replied, spitting a glob of blood into the dirt, swiping at the remaining crimson liquid trailing down his chin with a weary hand, "it's gotta be tough ta do that."

"I get that," Mikey nodded, stumbling to one knee, and then gradually to his feet, "but hitting this thing, I can hear bones cracking, but it's like nothing I do really effects it. Why won't it just stay down?!"

Raphael pursed his lips in thoughtful silence, eyeing the creature the way a wolf eyed it's prey, with the skin walker staring right back with an equally predatory gaze. The tension was thick enough Raphael felt like he could cut it with Leo's katana. Squaring his shoulders, the red ninja shifted himself into a more comfortable stance, ensuring he left nothing open in his defense. The two blades held in parallel lines in front of his body, already slick with the creatures blood.

Mikey was right, Raph mused. This thing certainly wasn't going down easy. Not that he'd expected it to, he meant what he said that anything that could take down his big brother had to be incomprehensibly strong. However, he'd gotten more than a few good cuts in, and Michelangelo was a veritable battering ram of whirling chucks, and they haven't even caused the thing to stumble yet. It was infuriating. Something about the way it's body moved, not to mention the way it reacted to each attack, it went beyond being double jointed it was almost as if…

A lightbulb went off in Raph's brain, and the turtle gaped. Of course, this thing didn't even have traditional bones. It couldn't. Not if it needed to fit into its victim's skins. Okiku was a small child, how could it be so large here but able to fit into such a small frame? Now, Raphael wasn't a genius scientist like Donnie, but he had a hunch that the reason this thing was so hard to take down was because it's body was so malleable that physical hits had no real effect. Maybe that crunching he heard when Mikey hit it wasn't bones breaking, but more like they were shifting. If that was the case, then they'd need to come up with a different plan of attack.

Raphael groaned out a sigh. Plans were Leo's territory, not his. That's why Leo was the leader.

Darting a glance over to Donnie, the red ninja gave a short exhale of relief. The genius was holding Leo in a loose hug, touching foreheads with their eldest brother, who even from the short distance away, Raph could tell was struggling. Leo was clenching his jaw in the way he normally does when he was trying to hold back a meltdown. On any other day Raphael would scold Leo for bottling up his emotions like he did before the caves, right now though he understood. Now wasn't the right time to break. He'd have time later, now they needed to escape.

Donatello allowed the contact for only a moment longer, then bundled Leo up in his arms, pulling the blue ninja off the table. Draping Leonardo's arm around his shoulders, Donnie made for the door. The skin walker noticed the movement and released a shattering howl of rage, "You will NOT take it's new suit!" It screamed, "It must have it's revenge!"

"It should really take a chill pill!" Mikey challenged, jumping between the creature and his retreating brothers, twirling his nunchucks menacingly.

"Donnie," Raphael bellowed, "get Leo somewhere safe and prep the lamp for another blast. We'll keep slender man busy!"

"Got it!"

The red ninja turned his attention back to the skin walker, tightening his grip around the hilts of Leo's katana, "Mikey, I got an idea," Raph murmured, his tone low and conspiratorial.

"I'm all ears, bro," the orange ninja replied softly.

"I don't think this thing has proper bones, not in the way we think at least," Raphael elaborated, "something about the crunchin' sounds we hear, and how it can take a beatin' without even really gettin' hurt."

Mikey nodded, his own eyes brightening as he caught on, "Yeah, reminds me of the beanbag we got at home."

"Exactly," the bombastic turtle grimaced, "much as I hate ta say it, beatin' this thing up ain't gonna help us one bit. I'm at an advantage 'cuz I got Leo's swords, but yer chucks ain't gonna do squat."

The youngest assessed his brother, then their opponent, "Throw me your sai, then."

In one swift movement, Raphael switched the second blade into his opposite fist, then used his free hand to toss the sai to Michelangelo. It was odd to see his baby brother holding his weapons, but they would stand a better chance this way. Glancing to his right, the brawler was happy to say that Leonardo had been drug out of the basement, and he could see the vague silhouette of Donnie prepping the lamp for another blast. Facing the skin walker, Raphael lowered his stance, "Let's do this!"

Roaring in unison, the brothers charged forward, blades held high. The creature shrieked its outrage at their impertinence, it's own body surging towards the terrapins.

Raphael ducked a swath of hair shooting at his head, while Mikey leapt in the air to avoid another wave attempting to recapture his legs. Steel sung through the air, whirling in a frenzy of precise strikes and slices. The red ninja used his momentum to slide in the dirt on his shell, dodging the hair targeting him, cutting strands as he went, aiming for the monsters weak spots. Michelangelo used a parkour move to springboard off the wall, neatly diving between the flurry of ebony tresses coming at him.

"Donnie, any time now!" Mikey cried.

The purple ninja stuck his head around the corner of the door, "Its warming up! Give it more time!"

"Kinda…runnin'….out," Raphael gasped, ducking and weaving between blows.

"Come on, come on!" Donatello's grumbles echoed through the door and into the room.

The skin walker pressed towards Raphael, it's howling wail once again screeching through the small space. The red ninja whirled Leo's katana, dicing through the onslaught until he felt his shell bump against the table. Chancing a glance over his shoulder, Raph winced at the sheer amount of medical type instruments littered across it, complete with numerous jars filled with different kinds of liquids. Some of them smelled strong, like alcohol or chemicals. Well, that was interesting. Raph knew from some of Don's less successful experiments that that kind of stuff burns, maybe that might help slow down the creepy crawler. Reaching behind his back, a green hand scrambled across the table, clutching at the glass containers.

Jars flew through the air, each one flung at the creature, shattering against it and spilling the contents. The skin walker roared, audible sizzling hissing on its skin.

"DONNIE!" Raphael bellowed, "Now would be really great!"

"Got it!"

Donatello's triumphant shout preceded the blaze of light once again piercing the darkness. The creature writhed, a scream rising as the lamp set it ablaze. Literally. The combination of the chemicals, plus the power of the sun lamp combined, created a combustion effect, igniting the skin walker into an inferno of piercing shrieks. The hair twisted as it burned, curling and winding about the creature. Raphael flung his arm up, burying his beak into the crook of his arm, eyes stinging from the blaze and nose raw from the rank stench of burnt hair. The red ninja wasted no more time, nodding to Mikey that it was time to go.

"Let's get outta here!"

"Right behind you!"

Red and orange zipped around the skin walker, ducking clawed hands ablaze by the inferno as it made a desperate snatch at their fleeing forms. The monster whirled around, the pain of the fire dulled by its fury at their escape. It attempted to chase them to the door, stumbling over the broken glass jars, and tripping over the wooden chairs it had held its prisoners in. Mikey and Raph never looked back, summoning every ounce of speed into their weary legs, they sprinted out of the space and into the stairwell. Donnie sat with Leo at his side, aiming the lamp at the monster, his face an angry grimace overflowing with the satisfaction of avenging his big brother. That was, until it flickered out, the last battery completely dry of juice. By that point Raphael and Michelangelo were safe, and the red ninja was throwing the metal cellar doors shut.

"Mikey, help me hold it down!"

Raphael bounced, trying to keep the doors shut as the monster shrieked on the other side, it's fists pounding on the metal. Mikey leapt onto the doors, followed quickly by Donatello, the two turtles held the doors closed as Raphael grasped an abandoned length of chain on the floor. Twisting the chain in and out of the handles, the brawler secured it into something of a Celtic knot. Grunting with effort, Raphael pulled back on the ends of the chain, tightening the knot and ensuring it wouldn't budge. Sitting back, Raph allowed Donnie to double check it's security, then gave a relieved sigh when the genius gave an approving nod.

"This will hold it," Donatello gasped, coughing slightly from the smoke leaking through the edges of the doors, "let's get out of here, Leo needs immediate medical attention!"

…..

If asked later, Leonardo would say he didn't remember the walk back to the palace. His consciousness was trapped in a void of dark, bone deep exhaustion. He had vague impressions with memories of partial awareness, somehow understanding that he was being carried, but not knowing of to where or by whom. He floated, almost out of his body, but completely blind. He was lost, drifting, in a starless night of confusion and fear. Had he dreamed his brothers? Had he really been rescued? He wasn't sure.

Leo had given himself up to the void, unable to take the agony of staying conscious. Or, as conscious as he could manage, which wasn't much. The little bit he had, came at much too high a cost. So, in a rare moment of weakness, Leonardo allowed himself to surrender, sinking into the painless comfort of sleep.

He wasn't sure for how long he drifted, but when he next came to himself, the turtle realized he was lying down again. The young leader's heart quailed as fear that he had hallucinated his rescue, and sorrow that he wouldn't see his family again, stabbed him in the gut with an icy blade. He was lying on something hard, it was solid, like the table, though not as cold. His leg still hurt, and his limbs were still heavy. He was weighed down, a silky substance covering him in its folds. No doubt the monster must have wrapped him in its hair again, to ensure he couldn't escape. The turtle shivered in fear, heart rate picking up as the need to flee overwhelmed his senses.

The hair shifted, covering his face. Leonardo tossed his head, trying to rid himself of its grasp, hoping beyond hope that he could still get away. However, that hope died in his chest when he felt how weak his body was. Every muscle group had the consistency of hot wax, even the small movement of shaking his head was exhausting. His resistance was duly ignored by his captor, as with each motion to escape, it clung more firmly to his face. The pressure increased, keeping him immobilized, and terror shot through every nerve ending. Was this it? Was he about to be processed into the monster's new suit?

Leo's chest heaved up and down in billowing gasps, he was hyperventilating the logical part of his brain acknowledged, he didn't care said the survival instinct. He needed to flee, he wasn't strong enough to fight, so he had to escape. Somehow. He didn't want to die in a dark hole in the ground, only to come back as a mask for a monster! Sucking in one large breath, Leonardo steeled himself for the pain ahead, then forced his body to obey him.

"Leave me alone!"

….

Splinter sat by his eldest son's bedside, holding his hand between fuzzy paws. It had been two days since Leonardo's rescue. Two days of worry, fear and sleepless nights.

When his boys came back, Splinter was elated at their success, but his joy did not last long. All too soon he was brought back to reality as his most intelligent child, Donatello, began shouting that they bring a doctor. The Daimyo's personal physician came forward, and he and Donatello carried Leonardo to the infirmary. Donatello stated that Leonardo had lost considerable amounts of blood, leading to Raphael and Michelangelo laying down demanding their brother attach a line to them so they could donate blood to their brother. Donatello did not argue, merely prepped Raphael to go first.

It took several hours of work to get Leonardo stabilized. Between the blood loss, hypothermia, severe dehydration and malnutrition the poor child was not in a good place. Splinter's ears drooped as he considered all that Leonardo had suffered in the three days he'd been missing. Michelangelo had quietly related to him the circumstances in which they found their leader. To say the old rat was horrified would be a vast understatement. He was positively sick that his sweet, respectful, and loving Leonardo would be subjected to such horrors.

Shuddering at the images Michelangelo's report had conjured, Splinter leaned forward to cup the chilly cheek of his eldest.

For the moment, the blue ninja lay on a thin futon on the floor of the infirmary, covered in a veritable mountain of heavy blankets meant to keep the turtle warm. Despite the blood donation and the many thick blankets, though, Leonardo still remained far too cold, and far too pale. Donatello explained it as a side effect of the hypothermia, not to mention that Leonardo was being weaned off the many strange and foreign chemicals in his bloodstream. His scientific son hypothesized that they were used to keep his eldest under control. Donatello warned his father that Leonardo would be feeling the effects of the drugs for some days, dealing with muscle weakness and incomprehensible fatigue. However, Splinter did not worry about his eldest's healing process, Leonardo was resilient, and now that he was back with his family, recovery was all but assured.

Leonardo's head gave a sudden fretful toss, a soft moan drifting up from partially open lips. Splinter sat up, ears pricking forward at the sound, "Donatello," he shouted, "Leonardo is regaining consciousness!"

Donnie had been reading a medical book from the Daimyo's library on a low desk, or trying to. The stress of the last week had worn him down, leading to the young genius falling asleep with his face braced on one hand, his elbow bent on the desk. At Splinter's command, the turtle woke with a jolt, his snore cut short into a snort, resulting in his face falling off his hand and straight down into the desk. His beak connected to the wooden paneling with a resounding bang that echoed through the infirmary.

Splinter smothered the chuckle at the image of his intellectual child picking himself back up, rubbing his nose with a soft groan of pain, "Oww…"

"Donatello," Splinter repeated, fondness coloring his tone, "Leonardo requires your attention. He seems to be coming back to us."

The purple ninja bolted upright, eyes wide, "He's waking up?"

"Possibly," Splinter replied, watching as Donatello scrambled over to his brother's side, "he began shaking his head and moaned as if he's slowly coming to."

Donnie set to work checking over his brother, keen eyes looking over every possible change. From the doorway, Splinter saw Michelangelo and Raphael peer inside, their own eyes wide and hopeful, "Did I hear someone say Leo is waking up?" The orange teen queried.

The old master nodded, beckoning his sons to join them. The next room over was set up as a temporary living quarters for the mutant family. While they appreciated the luxury of their previous rooms, all four wished to stay close to their young leader as he recovered. Raphael and Michelangelo approached the futon, sitting on Leonardo's other side, waiting for Donatello to give his prognosis. They didn't have to wait long, as Leonardo repeated the previous action that had alerted Splinter to his waking up. Another moan, accompanied by an agonized whimper, came from the eldest. All winced at the sound.

Leonardo was never one to voice his pain. He chose to smother it, not wanting to burden others with it, nor draw attention to himself. So, when the times came that he was injured, and unable to control his reactions, it always surprised the small family to hear the stoic turtle moan or cry. Splinter leaned forward again, cupping both hands around Leonardo's face, remembering how in time's past his presence had always soothed his eldest, whether from nightmare or injury, Leonardo would always calm when he felt his father's hands.

So it came as something of a shock to his system when Leonardo not only did not lean into his father's touch as per usual, but actually flinched. A shiver rocked the eldest's broad shoulders, and his plastron shuddered as his breaths became short and fast gasps.

"He's starting to hyperventilate," Donatello reported, face grim, "He may not remember he was rescued. His body is too weak for this much movement though, he might tear something. Father, try to keep him still, I don't want to take the chance of him hurting himself as he wakes up."

Splinter strengthened his grip, trying to remain gentle, but minimize Leonardo's thrashing. Neither he, nor Donatello, could predict how badly that would backfire.

The struggling eldest grit his teeth, despite being barely conscious, his whole body tensing. And as the group waited on pins and needles, they watched Leonardo pull in one deep breath, one they recognized as a technique taught to them to overcome pain and force their body to move. Raphael and Michelangelo barely had enough time to jump towards their leader, ready to protect Leo from himself if need be, before the blue ninja moved in a sudden explosion of motion.

"Leave me…alone!" Leo's voice was weak, a mere croak in comparison to his usual timbre, and within its tones lay a mind numbing terror and need for escape.

Rippling out from under Splinter's hands, Leonardo scrambled out of the futon, somehow instinctively knowing the one spot that wasn't being guarded. Raph and Mikey leapt on his legs, holding him down and trying to restrict movement that could potentially injure their sibling. They were rewarded with, albeit weak, kicks to the face. Donnie also made an attempt to stop his brother, but couldn't get a proper grip before the older turtle slithered out of his hold and across the floor. Leo went as far as he was able until he hit the infirmary wall, not to mention the end of his stamina. His body gave out, leaving him gasping for air, small pathetic whimpers whistling from his throat as he tried to succeed in his escape.

If Raphael was angry before at the skin walker, he was positively livid now. The only thing keeping him from blowing his top was the knowledge that they had literally set the thing on fire and left it to burn in a sealed room. The sight of his strongest brother, his indomitable leader, reduced to this…it made the brawler sick. Not in the sense that he was ashamed of Leonardo, but because he never wanted to see the brother he so respected and admired hurt to the point that he was helpless. Like a wounded animal running from a predator. However, Leo didn't need his fury, he needed something to ground him, reassure him that he was well and truly free of that hole and the nightmare that lived in it.

Standing in one swift movement, Raphael approached his older sibling, cradling the pained face in his hands, "Leo," his rumbling baritone spoke, fierce love and the need to protect making the words sound like the soft roll of thunder, "calm down, yer ok, we got ya out. Ya don't have ta keep fightin', yer safe."

Leonardo stilled, body trembling as revelation stole across his features. One shaking hand rose to caress the hands on his face, feeling the scaly skin devoid of fur, realizing that he truly wasn't in that hole anymore with a monster. "Raph?"

"Yeah, it's me," the red turtle affirmed, not acknowledging the crack in his voice as he desperately tried to reign in a tumult of emotions, "open yer eyes and see for yerself. I promise, yer safe."

Leo's brow wrinkled, his hand tightening into a shaky vise around Raphael's, "What if…you're not…real?" His question, asked in a tiny terrified whisper, tears building in the corners of the clenched eyes, "What if…I wake up…there?"

"Ya won't," Raphael's answer was so firm, so confident, it shook the atmosphere surrounding them.

The young leader paused, thinking through his decision. After several heartbeats, Leonardo eased the furrow in his brow, and slowly, cautiously, opened weary and worn sapphire eyes. It took many blinks to clear his vision, the brightness of the infirmary hurting his now sensitive eyesight due to spending three days in a dimly lit room. However, as Leonardo began to get his bearings, his gaze became riveted on his brother's face. Hope that was once shattered, was rebuilt piece by piece as Raphael's features came into focus, each piece accompanied by a tear heavy with relief.

"You're real," Leo gasped, shoulders starting to shake in building sobs, "you came."

"We'll always come fer ya," Raph stated with a sad smile, "just as you'll always come fer us, ya know that."

"I…I was…scared…" the blue ninja couldn't hold back the dam of emotions anymore, he'd been brave and strong for three days while locked in a room of corpses, all he wanted now was the comfort of his family, "I was so…so scared."

"It's ok," Raph replied, pulling his big brother in for a hug, cradling the beaten body in his arms, "we got ya, it's gonna be alright."

Donatello and Michelangelo crawled over as fast as their hands and knees could carry them, each joining the huddle. Soon it was a pile of teenage turtles in what Mikey would later call, an extremely necessary group hug. Leonardo sobbed openly in front of his brothers, his relief at being rescued palpable to all who witnessed the moment. The siblings held him through it, each giving comfort to the eldest, their tight grips a silent promise that they would never abandon or forsake their family, come hell or high water. Leo basked in their love, soaking in their affection the way a turtle soaked in sunlight. Returning their hugs with nuzzles to each face, touching foreheads, reveling in the feeling of his family surrounding him with their indomitable strength.

"Leonardo, my son," the turtle pile looked up, noticing that Splinter was sitting just outside the circle, one paw outstretched and features soft with a paternal smile, "I'm so relieved you are safe."

"Father," Leo breathed, joy and utter peace enveloping his body, easing tense strained muscles, allowing him to finally relax.

Splinter once again cupped his son's cheek, his touch tender as he stroked the green skin, but everyone jolted as Leonardo suddenly tensed. Gritting his teeth, he desperately tried to hold back the shudder of fear and revulsion that inexplicably rocked his frame. Try as he might to prevent it, his body still reacted violently to the rat's touch, his silky soft fur making the turtle's mind flash back to the cellar. Leo hung his head in shame, refusing to meet his father's undoubtably shocked and hurt gaze.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, new tears falling, tears of self loathing at his weakness, as he tried to explain in halting croaks, "I…I know…it's you, but…when I feel your fur, it's like…"

"Yer back in that hole," Raphael finished.

Leo nodded miserably, "I'm so sorry," he moaned, "that thing…held me captive…with its hair. I couldn't escape it…not even when I slept."

Michelangelo shivered, remembering their battle, "Don't remind me," he moaned, "I'm gonna be having nightmares for weeks about that thing's hair."

Raphael rolled his eyes before reaching over and smacking Mikey on the back of the head, "Can it, ya dimwit," he growled, "I'm pretty sure the person who doesn't want ta remember that thing's hair the most here, is Leo."

Mikey groaned, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit, "I know," he whined, "I'm just saying I don't blame him for not liking the feel of hair right now."

"What Mikey is trying to say," Donatello cut in, stopping Raph from taking another swing at the youngest, "is that we understand, Leo. No one expects you to come out of this perfectly fine like nothing happened. You'll heal, and we're here for you while you do."

"Your brother is right," Splinter finally spoke, while his eyes held hurt that he could no longer touch his son without setting off painful memories, they also shined with hope for the day when Leonardo recovered from that trauma, "we will be patient as you make this journey, you are not alone, my son."

Leo looked up, casting a quick shy glance at his father, sapphire gaze still roiling with guilt and self-recrimination. However, one fleeting moment of seeing their faces filled him with the strength to try and meet their gaze again, this time for longer. There was no condemnation in their eyes, no anger at him or disgust that he was not behaving the way a leader ought. They did not scold him for his fear and weakness, did not lecture him for the fact he had almost regressed back to a tot in his need for their protection and love. They just tightened their hold on him, pulling him in for a hug the brought all the broken pieces of his strength back together, and held them in place so that they could heal.

Closing his eyes, Leo released a sigh, body deflating as incomprehensible fatigue stole the last vestiges of his strength, making his frame droop against his brothers. The weary head relaxed against Donatello's shoulder, breaths evening out as they slowly became deeper. Navy blue eyes slid shut, and for the first time in almost a week, Leonardo fell into a deep sleep completely devoid of nightmares, his brothers and father standing guard, allowing the young leader to rest his broken and weary body.

So that's the end of Ensnared! I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Next chapter is my take of a request from one of my readers. It's not exactly what she asked for, but I used a part of it to inspire the next letter.

Stick around for the next chapter, Feral!