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Chapter 9: Gun-metal gray sky
The hours that past after Leo's 'meeting' with the Shredder was a blur of shadows, voices, and pain. He would slowly slip in and out of the darkness with sharp jabbing pains and cruel taunts.
He was coming to again...the biting cold clung to his body. But it hurt to shiver and if his teeth chattered it sent blinding pain from his swollen jaw. He tried to shift to a different position. Something more comfortable...anything less painful. He sucked in his breath as a sharp jolt pulled at his side. Opening his weary eyes he was met with the blackness of the small room, his sight adjusted to the lack of light but he could only see an outline of his legs. But he knew that his body was covered in bruises and cuts. Two long gashes ran down his side, courtesy of Shredder's gauntlet. They had apparently half-heartily stitched it up, he could feel them pull each time he moved.
Taking as deep a breath as his lungs would allow he tried to move again. The pain stopped him and he slumped against the cold, rough wall, a small groan escaping his lips.
Bleary eyes scanned the room...someone was there with him. He could almost hear another heart beat, feel the warmth of another body against the cold that was constantly pumped into the cell. He nervously licked his lips...waiting. If it was the foot, had they brought more drugs??
The warmth moved closer, he could feel it. But he couldn't see anyone in the gloom. A staticy sound broke the silence, it was a rushed sound, panicy...frantic. And the heat ran through his shoulder. His confusion was interrupted by the heavy metal door swinging open, he squeezed his eyes shut as the light poured in from the hallway. He cracked his eyes open, two foot soldiers strode in...but there was an odd shadow that stood between him and the ninja, a familiar shape.
More loud static and the shadow disappeared through he soldiers.
Leo opened his mouth to call out to the shadow, he felt maybe...just maybe it could help him. But all thoughts were shoved back as the ninja grabbed him. Despite the pain he struggled against their grip. One held his head, his hands like white hot steel. The other pried his mouth open and poured a thick liquid in. The substance fizzed and popped as it snaked it's way down his throat. He gurgled and gagged trying to prevent digesting the bitter serum.
"Compliments of Professor Starcher" he heard the soldier taunt.
It was fast acting...his sight already getting fuzzy, a sharp ringing in his ears. A fog settled over him and the protective shadow was gone and forgotten.
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Raph scrambled to his feet, the sight of his brother's bruised and battered face etched in his mind. The smell of despair clung to his nostrils and the freezing hold that the dark cloud had still shut up in his bones. Despite the cold his body was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Candles flickered wildly, but he was alone in his father's chamber. He wasted no more time, he quickly strode out of the room in search of his family. They have waited long enough.
"Raph!" Mikey beamed as the second eldest walked into the room.
The red banded turtle shot the youngest a glare...his words earlier not forgotten.
"Raph, I'm glad you're up." Don tried to shift the mood of the room. "We cracked the security and .."
"And what? More planning? More meditating?" he turned to his Sensei. "Cause it sure hasn't done any good so far!"
"My son..." Splinter started.
"No!" Raph cut him off. "We've waited long enough...too long!"
The rest that his hot tempered son had gotten had done wonders for his strength and stubbornness, but obviously nothing for his mood. Splinter thought.
Raph swept his arm across the table that Don and April were working at, sending papers and blueprints flying onto the floor.
"Raph!" April pleaded and started to pick up the papers.
"Raphael!" Splinter yelled, trying to shake his son out of his rant.
"What?" Raph yelled back.
"You need to calm yourself, this is not doing your brother any good."
"And what we've been doing so far has? Tell me Sensei, when you meditated all those times did you see Leo? Actually see him?"
"No." Splinter's eyes darkened a shade. "No, I could only sense his presence."
"Well I seen him and if we keep dragging our feet we won't have to worry about a rescue!"
"We are all worried about Leo" Mikey said. "We all want him back."
"Yeah?" Raph spat. "But it's not 'you' that Leo thinks betrayed him, is it?"
Mikey opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words.
Don put his hand on Raph's shoulder, only to have the red banded turtle shake it off. Don's eyes widened at how cold his brother's skin felt.
"We don't think that you done it." Don finally spoke.
"I really could care less what 'you' think." Raph growled "The one person that needs to believe that he wasn't betrayed is not here!"
Splinter took Raphael by the arm. "Come my son, I wish to speak with you in the other room."
Raph didn't pull away from Splinter. He wanted to, but he let his Sensei lead him to the kitchen.
"You are so cold Raphael." Splinter said as he pulled his hand away.
"It is cold where Leo is." Raph replied through clenched teeth.
Splinter nodded, understanding that Raphael had done what he had failed to do. "Were you able to speak with him?" Splinter asked.
Raph shook his head and lowered his eyes.
"Please, tell me what you did experience."
Raph sighed, his earlier mood starting to subside. He explained to Splinter what he saw.
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Leo wasn't aware of the pacing form that was now in the cell with him, until it spoke. A rough familiar voice.
"What'd ya think you're doin' Fearless?" the voice got closer.
Leo flinched at the nickname.
"R-Raphael?" his voice barely over a whisper. The substance had left a burning trail all the way to the pit of his stomach.
"Yeah, it's me."
"What are you doing here?"
Raph snorted. "I'm trying to make sure you don't mess up the deal."
"The deal?" Leo's head was spinning.
"You said that you would do anything for us...I arranged a way that we could be safe and you ruin it by trying to escape. Do you want the Shredder to hunt us down? Kill us?"
Leo shook his head 'no'.
"No? I didn't think so. It's better this way...Michaelangelo and Donatello are happy. They don't have to worry about the Foot ever again. Do you understand?"
Leo numbly nodded.
Raph stepped closer. "Tell me you understand."
Leo met his brother's eyes. "I-I understand." he said absently.
"Good."
Leo squeezed his eyes shut, willing the burning pain and nausea away. He opened his eyes a bit and found he was alone once more.
Oroko Saki and Professor Starcher stood over the trembling turtle. Starcher took a gloved hand and pried Leo's eye apart, observing his dilated pupils. He then scribbled something in his notebook.
"He has no idea we are even here." Starcher told Saki. "He'll be hallucinating for hours thanks to the serum he was given."
"What is he mumbling?" Saki asked.
Starcher checked Leo's pulse in his neck and wrote some more in his notes. "Something about understanding."
A grin stretched across Saki's face as he turned to leave. Starcher made a few more marks on the paper and followed him out the door.
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Raph joined the others again. He helped April pick up the rest of the scattered papers. "I'm sorry" he mumbled.
"It's OK." she gave him an understanding smile.
"So you said you cracked the security?" He asked Don.
"Yeah." Donny nodded. He pulled up the blueprints. "We just need to find out where he is. I think maybe here." he pointed to a section of the tower. "It's close to the labs. But Mikey thinks that he might be here, close to Shredder's chamber."
Raph swallowed thickly and nodded. He jumped when he felt a vibration in his belt...his shell cell started to ring. He grabbed it quickly. "Raphael here. Yeah, were you able to find anything out?" He asked the person on the other end as he walked out of the room.
Donny gave Mikey a puzzled look. Everyone that had a signal for the shell cell was in the lair. "Who could he be talking to?" he mouthed to Mikey.
Mikey shrugged.
A few seconds later Raph came barreling out of the kitchen. He grabbed the blueprint of Foot headquarters and spread it out on the table.
"Raph what are you doing?" Donny asked.
"Give me something to write with." Raph grunted.
Don handed him a marker.
"OK, I've got the prints." he spoke into the phone.
"Yeah, OK." he started to make marks on the lower part of the paper.
"Sub-basement? No, there isn't anything like that on here. Uh-huh." He marked some more.
"OK, what about security? Cameras? Where? OK." He quickly marked X's in various parts of the paper.
"Access cards? OK, yeah that helps a lot. Thanks. Bye." He clicked the phone shut and looked up at the concerned faces of his family and friends.
"Who was that?" Don asked.
"Nobody." Raph replied.
Donny let out a frustrated sigh. "Now is not the time to be secretive."
"Nobody? You mean that vigilante?" Mikey realized.
Raph nodded. "He's had a guy undercover in the Foot for about three months."
"And he knows where Leo is?"
"Yeah, but he wasn't one of the soldiers that was assigned to guard Leo. That's what took him so long to find out. He had to get the information without blowing his cover."
"Now we can finally move forward." Raph said and he got a confirming nod from Master Splinter.
A smile tugged at his lips for the first time in days.
"OK, here's the plan." Raph said as everyone gathered around the table.