Chapter Text
Betrayal / Hunted Down / Forced to Watch
Leo can't believe it.
A part of him had expected Karai to find a way to pull the rug out from under him. She had kidnapped him and his brothers, shackled them down in a room that looked like a mix between a dungeon cell and an interrogation room, and then declared that she had every intention of drugging one of his brothers for the kind of information that would tear down everything that they'd worked so hard to protect.
All of that fits within her bad-girl rep, but knowingly inserting a poison into his brother's bloodstream? Forcing him to lead her to their father? Taking him away when he could be dying?!
And she did all of it with a smirk.
He can't believe he let her trick him. Can't believe he let her anywhere near his brothers. Can't believe she would go this far. Can't believe that Donnie is dying and he's tied up in this ugly gray room completely and totally useless.
His arm jerks, caught on the cold metal that keeps him in place. He leans all the way over, tilting his body as close to his hand as he can, and manages to tear off the cloth. He sits back up, cracking his neck as the shackles dig into his wrists. He grunts, twisting in the restraints, locking his jaw. Short stabs of pain redden the skin as he throws himself forward, failing to get the chair to move-
"I'm going to kill her."
Leo exhales sharply, a mix of a sigh and a necessary release of exertion. He glares at his hotheaded brother as Mikey slumps as close to the ground as his chains will allow, arms over his head in what looks to be an uncomfortable position. Leo ignores it, watching Raph grind his teeth, clothe near his feet. They’d been too distracted with the horror unfolding before them to find a way to peel them off, but apparently an empty room and looming fear encouraged his brothers to get creative.
"I don't care if she's Sensei's daughter or the Queen of England! When I get my hands on her, I'm going to give her a real reason to wear all that armor-"
"Then you can be the one to tell Sensei who killed his daughter a second time."
"And then I'll tell him who killed his SON-"
Leo's heart skips a beat. "Donnie is not dead."
"But she will be."
"Can we focus less on murder and more on stopping Donnie from taking the Foot to the lair?"
"Don't you DARE blame this on-!"
"I wasn't blaming anyone-!"
"Yeah! Not even the no good Foot who deserve it-"
"Can we not do this now?!"
"When do you want to? After they kill Donnie or after they kill Sensei?!"
"What is wrong with you?!"
"What's wrong with you?!"
"You dudes need a serious chill pill." Mikey speaks over both of them, voice strained. They both whip around to face him, momentarily caught off guard with a worry that Karai had done something after all, but their youngest brother seems to be stretching himself out as far as his chained upper body will allow.
"What are you doing?" Raph demands as Leo spots the needle that had been left behind. His eyes widen. "Come on, Mikey. Just a little further."
His younger brother grimaces, one eye squeezed shut with the effort, and then locks two toes around the thin part of the end. He uses the shackles for support to force his body back upright, his grin and breathless "AH-HA!" paired with affirming cheers from his brothers. He tosses it up, apparently uncaring of the risk to stab himself, and catches it in his mouth.
He says something, teeth locked over the glass, and Leo insists, "Make it quick, Mikey. We only have so much time until someone checks up on us."
"With his mouth?" Raph stares at Leo as Mikey leads the needle to the shackle keyhole. "Are you insane? That's not going to work. There's no way that's going to work. There is no universe where him using him mouth and a needle to pick a lock works-"
The lock clicks. The chains fall free.
Raph stares, dumbfounded. "What."
Leo smirks as Mikey takes the needle from his mouth, flashing his teeth. "Ever wonder why locking your door never stops me, Raph?"
"What."
"Hurry." Leo urges as he squirms in his seat. "Maybe we still have time to get to Donnie."
"Wait, did you know?" Raoh demands incredulously as Mikey frees his other hand. Leo rolls his eyes. "Who do you think taught him?"
"With his MOUTH?!"
"Nah, dude, that's all Mikey." Mikey assures as he works on Raph's shackles. "Leo got me started on the basics though."
"There is nothing basic about lock-picking with your hands."
"Whatever you say, bro." Mikey frees Raph, earning a smack on the back of his head for his troubles. "Stay out of my room."
"Dude!" He whines as he turns to Leo. "Next time, I am leaving you there."
"No, you won't." Raph waits until Leo stands, arms stretched out before him, before grabbing Mikey's wrists. He looks over the red marks around them, glaring at his younger brother for daring to bruise his own skin. Mikey shrugs him off, letting Leo come up to peek at them before pulling them back. "Only stings a little. I'll be fine. Let's go find Donnie!"
Both older brothers' expressions harden, a single look exchanged. Leo takes out his katana as Raph spins his sais. "Yes. Let's."
Then Raph is charging out of the room with Mikey and Leo taking the rear. It takes them a moment to sort out where they are, and then they're heading in the direction of Stickman's lab, cutting down any Footbot that gets in their way. Mikey finds his way into the lead, kicking open the door for a proper theatrical entrance, declaring a cheery, "Excuse me! Manager!"
Karai spins, startled, her blade coming out as she takes them in. Leo looks straight past her, to the younger brother who doesn't even glance in their direction. It's almost as if their arrival bypasses his radar completely, which goes against years of training. There's a detached exhaustion to the pale face as whatever is in his system takes its toll and Leo's grip tightens over his blades.
He tracks back into the conversation between his brothers and the kunoichi, making his way to the lead where he belongs. The heat builds in his chest as he looks into hazel eyes that hold no remorse for the danger that his brother's life is in, and the fury burns. "Last chance to make the right choice, Karai."
"Right choice?" She tilts her head, innocent and coy. "But isn't that your job?"
Leo snaps. He charges and his brothers' follow his lead. The Footbots insert themselves between the turtles and their goal, but his team makes quick work of them. Leo's gaze never leaves Karai as she shoves his brother to the ground. He looks to Raph, nodding his head. The hothead takes off, away from him and Mikey, stealthily circling around as the youngest brother knocks out the scientist that had created the concoction in their brother's bloodstream.
"Leonardo!"
He turns toward the call, worry surging when he realizes that Donatello is on the ground, an entirely new vial pressed against the vein in his neck. Donnie doesn't even look up, mouth open as he breathes, limbs locked in panic.
Karai stares him down, cocky. "I have no idea what this does. Care to find out?"
Leo doesn't hesitate. He lowers his weapons, counting the surrounding Footbots. Karai forces his brother close to the ground, her knee pressing down on his shell. The leader eyes the needle in her hand, careful not to look anywhere else. Karai taunts, "You should have left while you had the chance."
Leo's beginning to think that they don't know each other like he thought they did. "Not without my brother."
"Too bad. Now you can share his fate."
Donnie flinches at the statement, glazed eyes rising in a sudden search, finding his. He can’t tell what’s going on in his mind, but it seems like he has the barest grasp on anything happening around him. Leo purposefully softens his gaze, as reassuring as he can be considering the circumstances. "Don't worry, Donnie. We're all getting out of here."
Karai narrows her eyes. "And how, exactly, are you going to do that?"
"Easy." He offers a grim smirk, gesturing to Mikey behind his shell. "Raph?"
Mikey throws the smoke bomb in the same instance that Raph charges. Karai looks in the direction of their youngest, unaware of Raph's location until he's ramming her in the back, sending her several feet from their brother. Donnie slumps to the floor and does not rise.
Raph falls at his side as Leo becomes the boundary between them and the kunoichi that put his life in danger. She grins and the anger that he's failing to smother ignites.
“Nice distraction."
"Thanks." It's taking everything in Leo not to pounce on her and use that blade to do more than deflect. "Wasn't too hard."
She's Sensei's daughter. She's Sensei's daughter-
But Shredder raised her.
He can't believe he ever thought there was good in her.
Karai raises her weapon, but the youngest jumps her. Her arms are restrained at her sides and Leo stalks up, the ugly need for vengeance creeping into his tone. "I told you to leave my brothers out of this."
Karai meets his eyes, pride glittering in her gaze. "Did you?"
Leo snarls, sword slipping from his fingers so they can form a fist, slamming the betraying kunoichi with every ounce of fury that shakes his bones.
He watches her body go limp, knuckles stinging, and snarls, "Yeah. I did."
"...Leo?"
He looks away from her unconscious form and to the wide eyes of his little brother. He shakes out his hand, spikes of pain along his knuckles, muttering, "Let's go."
Mikey loosens his chains, letting her fall. Leo grabs his katana and then hurries over to their brothers. Raph is on his feet with Donnie leaning heavily against his shoulder, looking up when Leo stops in front of him. "Donnie. You okay?"
"No." Donnie admits as if he's reading the back of a cereal box instead of predicating his state of health under a presumably danger substance. "My brain feels off. There are two of you. Weakness in my bones. I kinda wanna throw up. Bones hurt. Shell hurts. Can shells hurt? I don't think shells can hurt like this so I must be dying."
"You're not dying." Leo states firmly, despite the panic swelling in his gut. "We're going to get you out of here."
Donnie nods, accepting. Mikey looks up at him with wide eyes. "But Leo-"
"We have to get back to the lair and warn Sensei." Leo scans the room for an exit. "He might be able to help Donnie more than we can. Besides, Donnie has stuff at the lair to figure this out. Right, Dee?"
"Yes." Donnie agrees in monotone. "As long as I'm not dead by then which seems more and more likely with every pull my brain makes towards unconsciousness."
Mikey makes a noise of panic. Raph seems to share his thoughts. "Leo."
"I know. I know." He insists, his composure one wrong word away from crumbling. "We have to go. Every second spent sitting here is another second that Sensei and Donnie are in danger. We have to move-"
"We can't." Donnie's hand twitches, eyes clearing. "I told them about April. They have a list of resources. Camera footage. We have to wipe it all or we're in more trouble."
"But Karai and Flyface already know everything-"
"Stockman took notes because he thinks he'll forget. Anything remembered is their word against ours. Delete the footage, reduce the proof and the danger." His eyes move now, toward the computer, firm behind the glassy sheen. "We do this now. Leave, and you're putting her and our entire family at risk."
Leo has less than a minute to make his choice, so he does. "Does that mean we need to take you to the interrogation room-?"
"Leo!" Raph hisses. "He's literally dying!"
"I can do everything from here." Donnie pulls away, only to topple when he’s forced to actually carry his own weight. Raph catches him before he faceplants. His expression remains deadpan. "I'll need assistance."
"Mikey, support him."
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE PULLING MY SAI-"
"Raph." Leo interrupts with a warning look. "We'll stand guard."
“No- no. Absolutely not-” Raph starts moving and Donnie jerks his body into the opposite direction, causing his furious brother to stumble before he drops him. He keeps his heels in the ground, pushing against his older brother’s plastron, stating, “Raph. This is important.”
“Your life is important-!”
“No more than yours.”
“I am not dying.”
“Pain does not necessarily indicate death. Pain often indicates a problem.” Leo thinks that observation would be better received if he didn’t looks so bored with the topic. “A problem that I refuse to solve before larger matters are taken care of.”
“Are you kidding me?!”
“No. I would never joke about death when April’s involved.”
"We are NOT doing this right now-!"
"We are. And if you don't let me do this, I'll never be able to live with it." Donnie decides. "I've already mapped out how I get back here."
"How you get back here?" Mikey blurts anxiously. Donnie blinks. "Yes. I won't risk your lives anymore."
"No one is coming back here solo because we are doing this now!" Leo inserts himself back into the chain of command with this new declaration in mind. "Mikey- computer! Raph- with me! Donnie- NO DYING."
He scans their faces for any more resistance but meets none. Raph gives Donnie over to Mikey.
"Perfect." He breathes as his fear is crumbled into a ball and shoved into a sealed case. "Now move!"
Leo can't believe that worked.
Mikey's call of "OKAY DONE!" comes mere seconds before Tiger Claw turns the corner with a ticked glare, but Raph slams the door in his face and shoves the long board in front of it. Leo grabs his wrist and pulls him down to the brothers on the ground floor, aware that they had only so much time before that meager defense comes down.
Raph hikes Donnie over his carapace. Their brother puts up no fight.
Leo instructs Mikey to help him clear the way and they make it out an upper window in one piece, unlike the unlucky Footbots guarding the perimeter. Leo has no idea where they are, but he knows a loading area when he sees one and is more than happy to borrow one of their vehicles, snatching the keys off the limp villain. Raph hauls Donnie in the back and Leo tosses him the keys, sending throwing stars at the enemy across the room.
He hears the van start up and Mikey shouts his name. He takes swift steps back, watching Tiger Claw dodge his attack and catching his frustrated snarl. He whirls, accepting Mikey's outstretched hand.
"DRIVE!"
Raph hits the gas and the leader looks back. Tiger Claw switches on his jetpack and Leo grins as it backfires, sending him straight into a pile of crates.
The unseen throwing star drops innocently to the ground in the clatter and Leo brings the van doors shut behind him, stepping back in relief.
"Nice job, team."
"Leo." Leo turns at Mikey's thin plea, heart in his throat as he spots the limp brother on the floor.
"Donnie." He drops by his side, hand on his plastron, scanning over half-lidded eyes. "You still- all there?"
"I have a momentary hold on consciousness." He admits, propped up by Mikey's weight beside him and the metal behind. He pauses, calculating. "This... Isn't the ShellRaiser."
"No." Leo agrees. "We stole a Foot shipment van."
"Seriously." He lurches unexpectedly, only to fall boneless against Mikey. Mikey sets him back upright. "I want a headcount of everything we have."
"Sorry, Dee." He relaxes a bit at the new bout of lucidity. "We can't keep this. Who knows what kind of tracers are in it? We have to dump it as soon as possible."
"But imagine what I could do with it." The lack of emotion isn't exactly helping convince Leo of the brilliance in his suggestion. "What if they have missile launchers. Do you know how much damage I could do if I incorporated missiles into-"
Mikey's head snaps up at the idea of missiles and Leo is quick to nip that in the bud. "No looking in the crates. No temptations."
"You are stifling my creative genius." Donnie decides blandly.
Leo huffs. "Excuse me for trying to preserve what little secrecy our home has left after one of us went ahead and narrowed it down for the enemy."
"Oh, now you think she's the enemy?" Raph accuses from the front.
"She was always the enemy." Leo defends coolly. "Now I just know the lengths she's willing to step to."
"Do you know how many times she's tried to kill us?!"
"Okay, but this time she made it personal."
"How was every other time not personal?!"
"How can you never focus on what's important?!" Leo demands. "Sensei is in danger. Our home could be compromised within the day. How about we focus on that and not-"
"Donnie!" Mikey gasps as his older brother's head suddenly drops, other hand catching it before their skulls collide. Leo takes it from his hold, cupping it so it sits upright. The van swerves and Leo calls, "Raphael. The road."
Their brother doesn't say anything, but the van's path straightens out. Leo presses into the pressure point under his jaw as their Sensei does when they're disobedient or particularly rambunctious, and Donnie's body stiffens, eyes flickering open.
The eldest releases him, raising his hands with thumbs at his jaw. "Sorry, sorry, I don't have salt on me."
He pauses in thought, brows furrowed. "Donnie, you're hot."
"Than'ss." He mumbles, slurring, and Leo refrains from rolling his eyes. "No, Donnie, you're overheating. I think your body is trying to start a fever."
"'m dy’ng."
Leo grits his teeth because Mikey looks like he's inches from a panic attack. "Stop. Saying that. You're not dying. But you are going to stay awake."
"Mihgrane." Donnie argues weakly. "Can't."
"You can and you will." He takes an even breath and Mikey whimpers. Donnie's gaze goes glassy and Leo snaps his fingers, bringing it back to him. "Hey. Hey, it was your idea to stay back and delete all that footage so you're going to make it up to me and stay awake."
"'At'ss c'uel."
"Too bad." Leo hates that Donnie actually interprets his actions as anything close to cruel, but he refuses to think on it. "But that's nothing, little brother. If you try that again, I'll wake you back up and start letting Mikey take his pick at all your little secrets."
Donnie's expression doesn't change, but Leo knows that he's probably screaming on the inside.
Mikey blinks, dumbfounded. "Donnie doesn't keep secrets from me."
"Donnie." Leo grins mischievously. "Do you keep secrets from Mikey?"
"All t'time."
Mkey gasps his newfound betrayal, jerking upright, and Leo has to catch Donnie before he hits the ground. He steadies the blank-faced turtle against him, testing his heart rate as he sags against his shoulder, and Donnie states, "I c'n die n'w."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU-" Leo clamps a hand over Mikey's mouth, cutting off the rest of the offended shriek. "Ah, ah, ah, Mikey. Only if he tries napping on us again."
Mikey scowls, arms crossed and a determined glint in his indignant stare, and Donnie groans, finally finding a way to express his utter misery.
Leo flicks his forehead affectionately. "Okay, let's try something to get you more awake. How about a thinking game? You like those."
Donnie lets his shoulders slump.
"Perfect." Leo considers this a moment. "How about twenty questions?"
"I'll go!" Mikey bursts. "How long have you been keeping secrets from me?"
"That's not how this-"
"Fift'n ye'rs." Donnie cringes in preparation as Mikey counts on his fingers. "Fourteen... Fifteen- WAIT. You've lied to me my whole life?! Every day?!"
"No." Donnie expresses. Mikey scowls. "You just said so!"
"Mikey, that's how long secrets have been kept." Leo soothes. "He hasn't been lying to you every second of every day. Besides, I know you know that isn't how the game is played."
"I prefer it my way." Mikey pouts, "How am I supposed to know if he's lying to me?! Huh?!"
"He literally can't lie." Leo shakes his head. "You know what? Let's try something else."
They cycle through five more brain games before Leo realizes that neither brother is remotely interested. Leo knows that Donnie can be a stubborn turtle at times, but he's impressed with the way that he perseveres. Mikey hovers incessantly during the ride, even going as far as vocally debating ways to put him to sleep.
The two youngest argue what Leo will and will not allow as if he's not currently supporting the nay-sayer of the argument, and the leader lets them bicker, keeping a close eyes on his temperature and heart rate.
Raph parks and barks at them to pile out. They do, and the dramatic brute of a turtle breaks the front window and drives the van straight into the river. Leo watches in amusement as Mikey runs into the water after him. Donnie lies on the grass, complaining about their audacity to ruin any chance of him returning.
He deflates when Leo asks him if he already planned on going behind his back to retrieve the stuff. He's force to acknowledge and recount his full, detailed plan of rebellion.
Then, Leo has him outline all ideas on how he might retrieve the van from the water.
Raph swims back out with a grin that suggests something entirely different than simply dumping a van. Mikey laughs and splashes in the water. Leo raised an eye ridge. "Got that out of your system?"
"Nah." Raph brushes off most of the water from his arms and then scoops Donnie off the ground. "But I will."
Leo thinks he might help this time.
"Sensei!"
They all stiffen when there is no response back, heart shoved up to their throats.
Raph stays by the tracks in case he needs to dart for the ShellRazer and their brothers charge through the turnstiles, screaming out for their father.
He appears, highlighted by the dojo entrance, frowning at the sons barreling towards him. "What is this racket?"
Leo stops before him and Mikey throws his arms around him. "Sensei!"
"Leonardo?" He questions, his free hand landing on his youngest head. "Did something happen?"
"You could say that." Leo pants weakly. Raph pushes through the turnstiles. "Donnie needs help."
"Donatello?" Splinter demands as he gently separates himself from Mikey. "What happened?"
"Karai injected him with some serum that Stockman was messing with and now he's-"
"-alexithymic." Donnie mutters, enough expression leaking into his features that he looks distinctly ill. "My heads hurts and everything keeps spinning. I have no balance and I'm tired but Leo won't let me sleep."
"Nani?" He demands as Raphael sets him on the couch, laying a hand over his head. Donnie leans into his hand, puppy-eyes strong. "I told him it was cruel but he said he didn't care. It’s just keeps hurting and he’s going tell Mikey all my secrets."
Leo stiffens, mouth agape. Why would Donnie throw him under the bus like that?!
Was it because of the van?!
"Sensei, he's not telling the whole story-!"
"Not now, Leonardo." He interrupts sternly. The leader deflates as he asks, "Donatello, can you walk?"
"No. I'll probably fall the second that I try. I don't really want you picking me up either. Frankly, it's embarrassing and Raph always teases me about it afterward."
Splinter blinks, taking this in, and Mikey helpfully blurts, "Truth serum, Sensei. Just says exactly what's on his brain."
"...I see." Despite his son's objection, Splinter scoops him up with no more strain than one would cradle a rag doll. He yelps, faces bright red. "Master Spli-!"
His own cry cuts off as his eyes cross and he shuts them, abruptly hiding his face within his father's robe. Leo stiffens and Mikey bounces his heels anxiously.
"I believe Raphael can hold off on the teasing just this once." The son failing to look innocent smiles sheepishly under Splinter's judgmental look. "I will take care of Donatello. You three will remain out here."
"But Sensei-" Leo attempts to follow but it earns him a hard look. He hesitates, falling behind as his father faces forward and continues onward. "I know how to care for my sons. We will return promptly."
He pauses, as if waiting for confirmation, so his sons reluctantly chorus, "Hai, Sensei."
He disappears into the dojo.
Leo shuffles, uncertain, before he collects himself.
He turns to his siblings, fist meeting palm.
"Okay. Sensei'll take care of Donnie. Let's focus on this whole Foot situation..."
Donatello is lost to the world before Yoshi leaves the main room.
The ninja master is careful to keep this fact from the rest of his boys as he leaves their sight, the worry knotting in his chest aptly ignored. He carefully brings him behind the shoji and out of sight from any unwelcome visitors, letting the confidence drop from his stance as he lays him on the floor.
Yoshi sets a gentle hand on his forehead, studying the light blush of fever that crosses his beak. His heart rate has slowed, but he doesn't think it presents a danger quite yet.
He gets to his feet, leaving his son’s side long enough to search through his scrolls and grab a few parchments. He returns, spreading them out one-by-one for the one that would be best for ridding the body of an unwelcome drug.
His son stirs, groaning, and Yoshi reaches one hand over to brush his forehead, hushing him back to slumber. As relieving as it would be to have him awake and alert, Yoshi knows that it would make no difference on his welfare.
On another note, if he were to wake and see what Yoshi was about to do, he would have many questions. It would not be long until his brothers found out.
None of his sons were spiritual ready for this kind of challenge. If they were to try before he's certain that they are strong enough, it could cause irreparable damage.
It is better that Donatello remain unaware.
"Rest, my son." He murmurs, brushing warm scales with his thumb. "All is well."
His son settles, breathing evenly, and Yoshi resumes his examination of the scrolls.
Whichever he chooses, he will need to give it his all to be certain it will work.
He has one shot at this, and for Donatello's sake, he must not error.
For his son, he will not error.