Chapter 14-
\tA curse flew out of Raph’s mouth as he darted for the cell next to him. Quickly picking its lock. He growled when he found it empty as well. He repeated it on the next one, jumping in shock when a deranged woman came barreling at him. Butt naked. Shrieking with lost fury. Her eyes buggy and insane.
\tRaph swiftly shut the door before she could reach him. He could still hear her screams even through the thick steel. He bolted that one locked and moved on to the next one. Performing the same action on the rest of the doors. Each time coming up empty or receiving a nasty surprise. One of the prisoners he had encountered had stolen his sai and instead of attacking him, had shoved the weapon through their skull. He was reluctant to keep it after that gruesome scene but didn’t dare leave it in the man’s head. He had seen more death, suffering, and nakedness in the past ten minutes to last him five life times.
\t“Leo!” He shouted down the hall over the constant screaming. He hoped to god the same thing hadn’t become of Leo. “Leo! Leo!” Nothing.
\tHe unlocked the last door to the second hall. He was determined to search every, damn, door on this level till he found Leo. He swung open the door and yet another naked man sat curled up in a corner, hugging himself. His eyes wide and terrified but he wasn’t screeching or mumbling. The male’s eyes rose, scrambling to his feet and failing. He crawled over to him.
\t“Help! Help, please! Help me!” He begged. Sobbing.
\tRaph stayed where he was. Watching in pity at the human’s pathetic form. That pity turned to annoyance when the man caught proper sight of him. He squawked with terror and scrabbled away from him. His bare back pressing against the wall. Trying to gain as much distance between them as possible.
\tRaph sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
\tHe ignored him. “No! Stay back! HELP!”
\tRaph growled. He didn’t have time for this! Even with the temptation to slam the door and move on however, something compelled him to stay. Poking at his brain and telling him he couldn’t leave an innocent man here to be turned to animals as the rest of these victims had. Plus, he could see the livid expression Leo would have if he did.
\tHe huffed his defeat, ignoring the panicked yells as he cornered the male. Blocking the weak punches, he threw at him and grabbing both flimsy bony wrists in one large hand. His other applying pressure to the carotid arteries. In seconds, the man’s struggles ceased, falling limp against the wall. Raph flung the prone form over his shoulder. Both surprised and disconcerted by the lack of weight. He was certain even April weighed more than him.
\tShaking off the melancholy feeling that threatened to consume his aching heart, he pushed on to the next cells. Dumping and picking up the body every time he picked a lock. Unfortunately, his results came up just as successful as before. Well, except he came across another woman as sane as the man he hauled, and again had as little strength to dismiss her. So now, he roamed the halls with two unconscious humans slung over his shoulders and no Leo.
\tA vile obscenity slipped from him. All the cells were empty of Leo. He made his way back to the lab he had left his little brothers in. Concern nagging him, hoping Nak’ir didn’t get the upper hand of them.
\tHis worries were soothed as he barged into the laboratory. His eyes seeking and finding Don and Mikey both by the EMP bomb. Blood stained their skin and cuts he couldn’t remember them having marked them. Bruises swelled up a dark purple, but other than that, they were alive. A quick sweep of the room determined Nak’ir wasn’t anywhere in sight.
\tFrowning, he walked up to them. His eyes roaming the weak floorboards for a body or something to indicate Nak’ir’s whereabouts.
\t“Are you guy’s okay?” Raph exchanged his glance with Mikey. Setting down the two humans he lugged so he could grab Mikey and quickly examine for anything serious he might have missed.
\t“Dude, I’m fine. I swear, you’re picking up all of Leo’s habits.” Mikey chuckled. Batting away Raph’s hands. Don waved Raph away when he looked at him.
\t“Maybe it’s a big brother thing.” Don spoke theoretically. Mikey shrugged.
\tRaph ignored their comments. Changing topic once he was satisfied none of them were hiding a life-threatening injury. Cause yes, all of them had done that at least once.
\t“What happened to Nak’ir?”
\tMikey’s smile vanished. “He ran.”
\t“Ran?” Raph raised an eye ridge at him. Nak’ir doesn’t run.
\t“We almost got him a couple times. We assumed he saw he was outmatched and fled.”
\tHe shook his head in denial. Nak’ir doesn’t turn his back on a fight unless necessary. He doubted the two was necessary enough. “The guards?”
\t“None of them came. Where’s Leo?” Mikey frowned as he eyed the two humans. “And why were you carrying two naked people?”
\tRaph felt that heavy cloud of despair he tried so hard to fight off, begin to surround him. “He wasn’t there.” Don removed his gaze from the bomb to join Mikey in staring at him. “He wasn’t in any of the cells. Believe me, I opened every single one of them. He wasn’t there.” Fury relit itself inside him and he balled his fists to keep himself grounded. He wanted to roar his anguish and hear it echo. He wanted to hurt something. Where was Nak’ir when you needed him?
\tA droplet in a sea of tension left him as he felt Mikey’s hand squeeze comfortingly on his shoulder. “Do you think he’s--”
\t“No! Don’t you dare finish that sentence Michelangelo.” He shot him a glare that should have dropped the turtle on the spot. Instead, he squeezed his shoulder harder.
\t“I was going to say, do you think Nak’ir took Leo with him?”
\t“That wouldn’t make sense. Leo’s cell was already empty when you guys were fighting him.” Raph pointed out.
\t“Not necessarily. Nak’ir could have already taken Leo somewhere else before we even got there.” Don said. His attention back on his task but his movements appeared rigid.
\t“That would mean Nak’ir already knew that we knew about him.”
\t"Perhaps. Or he could have gotten one of his men to do it.”
\t“So, Nak’ir does have Leo still.” Mikey’s voice sounded strained.
\t“Now we don’t have a clue where he took him.” Raph gritted out.
\t“Not necessarily.” Don repeated a small knowing smile appearing on his lips. The two peered at him. “What? We finally find Nak’ir and you don’t think I would put a tracking device on him? Or at least one of his men?”
\t“You put a tracking device on him?” Mikey sounded impressed.
\tDon scowled and turned back to his work. Raph felt a quirk to the corners of his lips. Okay, so maybe the situation wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed.
\t“Sooo, about the nude people?” Mikey pointed down to the pile of the groaning humans that were slowly coming to. Catching Raph’s attention.
\t“I came across them when I was searching for Leo. They looked semi-sane so I took them with me.” Don nodded but Mikey looked troubled.
\t“Only two?”
\tRaph didn’t even have to ask. He stared down as the humans writhed on the floor. Deciding to put them out of their misery for another hour or two, Raph knelt beside them and did the pressure point on each of their necks. Both falling back unconscious. An uneasy silence falling upon the hellish room like a veil. “Are you doing anything important Mikey?”
\t“Just handing Don tools.”\t
\t“Can you try to see if there are any towels or blankets to cover them up?” He asked. Mikey opened his mouth but seemed to think better of whatever he was going to say and closed it. Nodding and turning on his heel to search. Raph kept Mikey in his field of vision, making sure he didn’t wander off too far.
\tHoly smokes, he did sound parental!
\tRaph huffed and shook the thought off. Kneeling beside Don.
\t“Can you hand me the clippers?” Raph reached into the tool box they brought with them. Handing Don the desired tool. Don muttered a thanks.
\t“How are you doing?”
\tDon shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve been better. Might feel better if I didn’t currently have my hands in a bomb that could explode and destroy the entire states electrical power.” There was a fraught silence and Don smiled at the wary expression that was on Raph’s face. “Just kidding. It can’t explode. I’m not dealing with wires that are connected to the detonator system. As long as Nak’ir doesn’t have access to its control for another ten or so minutes.”
\t“I think he does.”
\t“He might. That’s why I’m trying to get this done as quickly as possible.” Yeah, that was reassuring.
\t“I was talking about with being here in Nak’ir’s hideout.”
\tDon glanced at Raph and he saw a very small glimpse of fear in those chocolate brown eyes. “Knowing that Nak’ir isn’t here, swinging whatever at our heads anymore, is comforting. Ask me again when we get home.”
\tRaph nodded. He couldn’t argue with that. He returned the clippers to the tool box and handed Don a screwdriver as he requested.
\t“You?” Don suddenly asked him.
\t“Huh?” He blinked.
\t“How are you after all of this?” Don clarified, waving around the screw driver he held in his hand for emphasize.
\t“How do you think I feel?” Raph answered with a question of his own. His voice grim. His eyes peeked at the square opening of the missile. A few wires of black and copper hung in a disarray out from the edge. Don’s arms cutting off the rest of his view of the inside.
\t“Will this do Raph?” Mikey’s voice brought his attention around to his little brother who held two folded white sheets in his arms. “They have a few blood stains on them but they were the cleanest I could find.”
\tRaph nodded. “They’re fine.” He snatched one of them so he could lay it across the immobile male.
\t“They don’t look too horrible injured. Just dirty, and starved.” Mikey stated after making a quick study of the female before laying down the sheet across the slender body.
\t“They were probably recently kidnapped. That’s why they are still sane. As soon as we get out of here, we’ll drop them off at the police station with this address. They’ll take them to a hospital and will figure out what to do with all these people.” Raph said as if he was speaking his thoughts out loud. Hoping their memories of this place would be blurred by the time they wake up.
\t“Hah! Got it!” Don pulled out a large metal box that reminded Raph of those computer towers Don had in his lab. An area that looked like a circuit board cluttered one section of it.
\t“That’s the battery?” Mikey reached out when Don handed it over to him.
\t“Yes. Here comes the power supply.” Don reached in again and snatched out another similar metal box. He allowed Mikey to take it as soon as he put down the battery into his duffle. “There. That’s it. It should keep this thing stationary for a while.” Don patted the side of the missile, rising to his feet. He packed up his tool box and placed it in his duffel. Zipping it up.
\t“Do you think it’s okay to just leave an EMP bomb here for anyone to find?” Mikey asked.
\t“The police will find it. It’s better than psychopath having his hands on it.” Don stared at the bomb longingly. Raph smirked, knowing exactly what was rolling through the genius’s head.
\t“Come on Don. You have the battery and power supply. That’s more than enough for you to study.” Raph gave Don a little push towards the exit. Scooping up the woman while Mikey carried the man.
\tThey hiked their way in the direction of their home. The water that trickled down the sewer tunnels, sloshing at their feet. They had done as planned; dropping off the two survivors at the police station with an address to the building for them to check out. They had waited patiently on a rooftop across for an officer to come out and help them. Making sure they retrieved the message. Two cops were sent to the building while another two escorted the people to the hospital. Raph was tempted to follow the cops to the building just to make sure everything went smoothly, but quickly thought against it. The police could handle it just fine. Besides, they needed to get home. Dawn was coming and him and his brothers were injured and exhausted. Plus, Splinter was probably worrying himself silly over them. No use keeping their father waiting more than he had to.
\tDon had popped Raph’s dislocated wrist back into place; much to his discomfort, and bandaged it with a splint. Raph’s nose was going to have to wait till they got home. Don’s shoulder had stopped bleeding and was currently wrapped up and waiting for stitches. His punctured thigh was the worst of his injuries and he needed Raph as his crutch, other that though, he hadn’t complained a bit about the pain. Mikey’s own wounds have been treated temporarily. Holding an ice pack on the lump that was growing on his head and blackening his eye.
\tRaphael never felt more relieved to see the turnstiles of their lair’s entrance come into view. It was a surprise though to find that Master Splinter wasn’t pacing in the living room, waiting for them.
\t“Master Splinter?” Mikey called out. “We’re home!”
\t“Sensei?” Don was the next to shout when nothing but silence answered them. A bad feeling sunk in Raph’s gut and he didn’t like it one bit. He immediately took off to the dojo. Hearing his brother’s feet pounding behind him. The feeling only grew when he found the dojo door was left open. He barged in, eyes widening when he found the chair completely empty of Ax’ honatain. The ropes scattered on the mats around the chair. Lying in the corner on the opposite end of the room, Splinter was sprawled uncharacteristically on the ground. There was no sign of blood injuries. He just appeared to be unconscious.
\tDon was at his side, examining him before Raph even had time to take a step. “How is he Don?”
\t“He’s fine. He has a large bump on his head, but nothing severe.”
\tThat knowledge soothed Raph’s frayed nerves, despite the dojo was trashed from obvious struggle and Ax was nowhere to be found. How great. More to add on to the lengthy list of things to worry about. The guy was dangerous and with him capable of disguising himself as anything, he was going to be a pain to locate again.
\t“Raph and Mikey, you have to carry Splinter out to his bed for me.” Don ordered. Standing up to shaky legs. Raph walked over to help him. He hoisted up their father by his ankles, Mikey with his shoulders and they transferred him to his mattress in his bedroom. Don was quick on the bandaging. Wrapping an ice pack around the bulk of the rat’s head.
\t“Should we be worried about Ax, Raph?” Mikey asked him. Now that Nak’ir was aware of them, you wouldn’t think so, but it was the opposite.
\tHe sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “Yes.”
\t“You know something, don’t you?” Don’s chocolate stare narrowed on him. Obviously seeing his secret bare and raw in his eyes. He averted his gaze away from them and down to the floor.
\t“I found out how Ax did it. How he managed to disguise himself so well like Leo.” The two immediately looked intrigued. “He’s from a planet called Chobvalia. Or at least his ancestors were. His planet died twenty millenniums’ ago, when their world collided with a neighbor.”
\t“Okay, so what does that have to do with him disguising himself as Leo?” Don asked.
\tRaph waved him away. Continuing. “I’m getting to that. Anyway, they had scientists. Or astronomers that kept a look out for hostiles, outsiders, or enemies. They had predicted the event and managed to warn a few of the people. Those had survived and during the collision had gotten separated. Their knowledge of their past became limited. Their species are now rare to ever encounter anymore. But apparently, Chabvaliak, as they refer themselves as, means ‘Shapeshifter’ in their world.” Both eyes instantly widened to an astonishing size when the ‘S’ word came out.
\t“Shapeshifter? You couldn’t think to tell us that little piece of important information before now?” Raph flinched at Don’s outburst. Giving him an awkward apologetic smile that Don immediately scowled at. “For all we know, that could be the reason he escaped.”
\tRaph shook his head. “He can only steal the form of others by touching them.”
\t“Still. A warning would have been nice.” Don hissed out between clenched teeth.
\t“I’m sorry?” Don felt more frustration pile on top of the frustration he already had.
\t“Do you think he went back to Nak’ir?” Mikey questioned. Cutting Don off from spitting another lecture.
\t“How would be an idiot to do so. Then again, he’s working for him anyway.” Raph muttered with a glower.
\t“That would change things, wouldn’t it?” Mikey’s face appeared thoughtful.
\t“Indeed it does.” The low familiar rumble of their father’s voice snapped all three’s attention to the rat. Ebony eyes peeked at them through half shuttered lids. A tranquil smile pulling across his lips when he looked over the trio and found them well and safe. However, the absence of his eldest had not gone unnoticed by him.
\t“Are you okay?” Raphael’s voice reached his ears and he switched his eyes over to him. He nodded, cringing at the pain that shot through his head at the slight movement.
\t“What happened Sensei?” Michelangelo asked with deep concern that touched his old heart.
\t“That, my son, is another conversation reserved for a later time.” He grunted as he slowly pushed himself up to a sit. The assistance of Donatello helped him succeed the task. “I’ve been aware of Ax’ honatain’s ability to change appearance, and no, that is not how he escaped.” He answered his genius’s son's question that had not been addressed to him at the time.
\t“I’m afraid that he is indeed involved in Leonardo’s sudden disappearance. Again.”
\tThe three stared confusingly at him. He could see numerous questions buzzing in their heads. “You didn’t bring back Leonardo and Nak’ir is obviously still running free, but judging by your conditions, you had occupied his attention for quite some time.” His hands gestured to their wrapped bodies. “How long has it been since you three have returned?”
\t“Not long. Twenty, thirty minutes, tops.” Don answered. Checking the clock that hung on the wall.
\t“We would have come back sooner if we didn’t take an hour to drop off a couple of survivors and patch ourselves up.” Raph added.
\t“Hm, so it was only recently . . .” Splintered mumbled to himself. Stroking his goatee thoughtfully.
\t“Did Nak’r know about us knowing about him?” Mikey asked quizzically.
\t“Yes, definitely. For a while now.”
\t“How? He was tied up the whole entire time except that one incident.”
\t“I didn’t consider a security system.” Don murmured. His hands wringing themselves as his eyes down casted guilty. He should have thought of that. Now his mistake cost them Leo. He jerked when Splinter’s hand covered both of his. Obviously reading his self-punishment on his face. A reassuring smile splayed across the rat’s expression. Confidence and hope shining brightly in his ebony eyes that immediately drew Don.
\t“I’m more than confident Ax’ honatain’s escape was planned accordingly.” His son’s eyes widened again. “I also believe he is the one who holds Leonardo captive now.”
\t“How did you figure that Sensei?” Raphael’s eyes fixated on him with intense desperation, fury, and sorrow that came near to breaking his poor elderly heart.
\t“It probably had something to do with the fact that he looked exactly like you when he left.”
\tHis second eldest child’s eyes enlarged to the point he feared they would pop out of his head for the third time today. Realization dawning as he came to the same conclusion as him.
\t“Wait, but Raph said he couldn’t change unless he touched him.” Mikey said.
\t“Indeed, which is why it threw me for a loop to find Raphael being the one tied to the chair.” Raph was the next to express an enormous amount of guilt.
\t“I touched him. But I didn’t think he was copying my form at the time! I was distracting him!”
\t“No one blames you Raphael. Be still.”
\t“Ax has Leo and he looks like me!” Raph bellowed. His rage starting to leak through the cracks in his wall. He popped up from the bed. Beginning to pace back and forth across the length of the bedroom. Letting loose a stream of curses and loathsome vows Splinter would wash his mouth out for at a later time. Not calming down even when he roared and punched the wall. His non-wrapped hand now bleeding from the knuckles. A crack left behind as remains from his tantrum. Loose pebbles and dust from the brick, raining down to the ground.
\t“Raphael! Settle down!” He ordered firmly, but apparently, there was no need. His son slowly brought himself down from his angers hold. Soft, slow, breaths sawing out of him. Now replaced with a misery he didn’t recognize on his strong, hot-headed warrior. He did not wear it well.
\tRaph pressed his shell against the wall and slid it down to the floor. His head hanging low to hide the view of his fast leaking tears from his family. Little quiet sobs shaking his shoulders. Perfect! Just perfect! Not only is Leo gone but he’s being hidden away by the one person who can blend in to any environment! Why could nothing go right for them?
\t“It shouldn’t be a problem, right? Ax would bring Leo to Nak’ir and Don, you said you have a tracker on him.” He could hear Mikey speak.
\t“Perhaps.”
\t“Perhaps what?”
\t“There could be a possible chance that Ax wouldn’t be near Nak’ir. He would probably be holding Leo separate from the person we’re hunting for.”
\tMikey’s heart dropped. “So what? We play the waiting game again?”
\t“Not necessarily.” Don repeated that same word for the third time today. “The longest you would have to wait is less than an hour. I had placed a tracker on Ax as well. Just in case.” His two siblings gawked at him in shock. Hope glimmering back to life in both of their faces. “What? . . . You guy’s seriously underestimate me, don’t you?” Don grumbled. The sound of Splinter clearing his throat interrupted him.
\t“Very well done, Donatello, but tracking Leonardo will have to wait till tonight.” The trio opened their mouths with protests ready on their lips. “No. You all are weak, injured, and tired. You will get yourselves taken care of and rest for the remainder of the day. Immediately.” Splinter spoke the last word strictly. He knew how upset his sons were over the failure of their night, but he wouldn’t risk his other son’s lives because they pushed themselves beyond their limits. It wasn’t worth the risk.
\tHesitantly, the three nodded to him. Each bowing respectively to him before walking out of the room. He prayed that his sons would remain safe and strong. Slumping back against the pillows, he allowed his eyes to drift closed as desired.
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