Donatello gasped and sat up from his unconsciousness, grabbing his throat where the creature had been gripping him. He could breathe, at least - that was a good thing. He looked around him, unable to see past the darkness. For all he knew the thing could be right there, watching him as he searched for it. He crouched and felt the ground around him with his hand, searching for some sort of weapon. He stopped and looked up, sensing eyes upon him.
That was all he could see of the thing - its eyes. They were wide and white, pulled up at the sides as if the thing were smiling. A moment later it did smile, revealing two long rows of wide white teeth. Don stared at them, recalling the puncture marks on Mike's arm. The creature opened its mouth and snapped it shut again, moving closer in the shadows. Donatello's hand slid across the dirt again and he found with his touch a length of wire. Industrial wire - thick and sharp. He twisted the end into a loop and left the other end pointing towards the thing then stood and stepped forward.
The creature's eyes drew closer together as if pondering its prey's actions. It made a noise like a laugh and lowered itself, positioning for a pounce. Donatello prepared himself and tightened his grip on the wire. As was expected, the animal sprung forward, lashing its claws out at Don's face. He leaned back and swung out with the wire, missing his adversary. He spun around but the thing grabbed him by the wrist, folding the wire over and pressing the sharp end into the turtle's forearm. Don made a small sound of surprise.
The creature let out a pleased growl and pulled back on the wire, slicing through the ninja's green skin. It tightened its already unbreakable grip on his wrist and pushed him to the ground, spinning him around onto his knees and pressing down on his twisted elbow with its foot. Don gritted his teeth and fought back the sudden wave of pain that traveled through his arm and shoulder. It twisted him again and slammed him onto his shell, stepping down hard on his plastron. It pushed down, to the point where Don was certain the plates that protected his chest would crack.
The creature let up and Donatello took a deep breath. The relief lasted only moments and the thing dug its claws deep into his arm, slicing through the skin again. It bent over and smelled the blood as it flowed from Don's fresh wound. The turtle reached up, trying to dig his fingers into the only visible vulnerable spot the creature had - its eyes. It grabbed his hand and squeezed, bending over and licking the blood from his arm.
"......Taste..." it whispered. It shook its head and blood flew from its mouth onto Don's face. It laughed again. "......Fun.... animal people..... fun...... keep animal people....."
It brought its face down again and dug its teeth into the flesh on Donatello's already lacerated arm. He let out a yell of pain as it pulled away, taking skin from off the muscle. It bounced off into the shadows and watched him as he scrambled to his knees, cradling his flayed limb. It wanted to keep him around, he realized with horror. It thought he was fun... a mouse for the cat to play with until it got hungry enough to eat...
Mike breathed a little deeper, his eyelids fluttering and his fingers gripping weakly to the sheet that lay beneath him. His eyes flew open as he sat up in bed, looking all around him for a sign of the creature that had been brutally slamming him against the sewer wall just moments before. But it hadn't been moments, it had been hours - he was home, in the infirmary with bandages on his head and arm. He was alive - he didn't expect to be alive. He looked towards the end of the bed and saw Raphael sitting in a chair, his head rested forward on his arms, which were folded across the white fabric.
"Raph?" Mike said, surprising himself by how rough his own voice sounded. He nudged the sleeping turtle with his foot and repeated, "Raph?"
Raphael snorted and his head shot up, looking around him. He finally looked up at Mike and jumped to his feet, running to the head of the bed and wrapping his arms around his suddenly-awake brother.
"Mikey! Oh, Jeez... man, are you okay?"
"...Uh, yeah..." Mike put a hand on his head and his eyes slid to the bandage on his arm. "Damn thing bit me..."
Raph forced himself to smile. "Yeah... we saw that."
Across the room, Splinter sat up on the mattress and stretched, opening his wide mouth in a yawn that hid the rest of his face. He closed his mouth and shook his head, chasing out the last remaining fragments of sleep before standing and walking to Michaelangelo's side. He smiled a gentle smile and put a hand on his son's arm, saying with a touch that he was happy that the turtle was awake and well, at least for the most part.
"Master?" Mike said, his voice still harsh despite his efforts to make it soft. "What happened?"
"Do you not remember?"
"I remember some of it," he said, looking down at his hands. "I remember it bit me and I remember hearing the guys..."
"Anything else?" Raph asked, squeezing Mike's hand. "Do you remember what the thing looked like?"
Michaelangelo shook his head. "No, just that it was freakin ugly..." he looked over at Mark, who still slept on the mattress. "How's the kid doing?"
"Good as can be expected," Raph said.
Mike looked around the room again and then into Raphael's eyes. "Where are Leo and Don?" "They had first watch, they're probably checking out the rest of the den," Raphael told him. "Me and Splinter are supposed to relieve them at three AM."
"What time is it?"
Raphael walked to the center of the room and reached up, grabbing the dangling cord that led to the naked light fixture. The room was bathed in a new illumination and everyone blinked, trying to adjust their sight. Mark sat up suddenly and pushed himself off the mattress, landing on the floor gracelessly. He stood and rubbed his eyes, jumping aside when Rosco scurried back under the chest.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Hi, Mark," Mike said, waving with his uninjured arm.
"Mike?" the human walked to his side and smiled. "Wow... so you're okay, huh?"
"In one piece," the ninja said, looking down at himself. "I think."
Raphael looked up at the clock on the wall and his own expression flattened. "Damn..." he said. "Uh, guys... it's quarter-to-four."
Splinter spun to look at the time and then down at his son. He didn't have to tell Raphael what to do as they both headed towards the door to the living room without a word. Mark put a hand on Mike's arm and looked him in the eye.
"What's going on?" the teen asked.
Michaelangelo made a fist and swung his feet off the side of the bed. "Trouble," he said, trying to stand.
He wobbled on uncertain legs and Mark reached out, giving him support. They looked at one another and Mike sat back down. Whatever was happening, he would be unable to help. Splinter was first to notice that the door to the sewers hung open. He signaled to Raphael, who drew his sai and stepped forward silently. The turtle pressed himself to the wall and peered out the door, looking beyond the darkness for a sign of either his brothers or the creature. He looked down at the ground and saw a spot of blood on the dirt. Raph let out a low growl and stepped out of the den, into the tunnel.
He looked down the way and his eyes fell upon a still form lying on the dirty concrete. He ran ahead and kneeled down beside Leonardo, shaking him roughly. Leo let out a small noise and opened his eyes, looking up at his worried brother.
"...Don..." Leonardo whispered.
"Where is he?" Raph asked.
Leo's eyes closed again and Raphael pushed him up to sitting.
"Leo," Raph said loudly. "Leo, where's Don?"
Leonardo grunted and his head rolled to the side, though his eyes finally opened full. "It got him," he said, trying to regain his lucidity. "Neikan got him."
Splinter walked up to his sons and helped Leo to stand. "Come, we must get him inside at once."
Raphael wrapped one of his brother's arms over his shoulder and guided him into the den. "Master, what did he say? What's a Neikan?"
"You do not know?" Splinter said, latching the door as Raphael laid the other ninja down on the sofa. "Have you forgotten all the language lessons I have given you?"
Raph kneeled down, examining Leonardo's head. "Uh... wait. I think... it means bad, right?"
"It means wicked," Splinter said. "Though the usage is not correct..."
"Hold on!" Raph said, spinning. "I was dreaming last night... I remember something happened in my dream and I called the thing Neikan..." "Indeed... perhaps you were talking in your sleep, as well."
"Either that or something serious weird is going on between me and Leo's brain..."
Leonardo struggled to sit up and looked at his brother. "No..." he said weakly. "I heard you. You said it."
"Lay back, you're in no shape to move right now."
"No... we have to go find Donny... that damn thing got him, it took him..."
"I said sit back," Raphael said, his voice authoritative. "I'll go out and find Donny, I'm sure he's okay... he can take care of himself."
Even as Raphael said it, he didn't believe it. That thing - Neikan was vicious. How many hours had gone by since Don had been taken? Maybe too many - too long. When they had found Mikey it had been without a moment to spare, and now...
"I'm going out to look for him," Raph said, standing and making way for the door.
"Wait!" Michaelangelo's voice called out from the doorway to the infirmary.
Raph turned to see the other turtle being supported by Mark, walking ahead unsteadily. He sat down on the arm of the sofa.
"Mike!" Leonardo yelled, hugging his brother. "Oh, geez... are you okay?"
"I'm okay... I have a frickin headache, but I'm in one piece. Now, what happened? Where's Donny?"
Leo put his feet on the floor and fought back a noise of pain as a sting traveled up his back.
"He was checking the door," he said. "And it... it just pulled him out. I tried to cut it but it was like my katana went right through."
"Damn..." Mike rubbed a growing throb at the front of his head. "Y'know... I think..."
"What?" Raphael pressed, walking back to the sofa.
Mike jumped to his feet and wobbled, swaying back and forth. Raph put a hand under his elbow and guided him onto an empty cushion. He took a deep breath and looked up at their master.
"Sensei... the thing..."
"Neikan," Leo said.
"Neikan? It... it was like us. It was a turtle."
They all shared a shock that was untranslatable into words. They stared at Mike, every mouth open in near disbelief.
"Slash?" Raphael asked.
Michaelangelo shook his head. "No... not Slash. Someone... something else."
"Besides," Leo spoke up. "Slash is dead. Either way, this isn't something he'd do."
Splinter was staring off at the far side of the room, looking at nothing, but lost in his own thoughts.
"Master?" Mike said.
The rat looked him in the eye and drew in a deep breath. "I am afraid I may have a disturbing answer," he said.
"Sorry, Master," Raphael said, running for the door. "It'll have to wait. I'm going to look for Don."
"Raph, wait!" Leo stood and ran after him, ignoring the pain in his back. "I'm coming, too."
"Get your ass back on the couch, I can handle this alone."
"No, you can't. You haven't actually gone up against this thing, I have. It isn't normal, it'll take more than one of us to take it down."
"He's right," Mike struggled to his feet and took a step, finding himself held back by Mark's grip on his arm. "You can't go this alone."
"I almost lost you, Mike," Raph said, his hand resting on the doorknob. "I am not going to loose Donny, too."
"Listen to yourself," Leo said, putting his hands on Raph's shoulders. "This is Donny we're talking about. He's our brother, too. We aren't going to abandon him any more than you are. I'm going."
"Leo..."
"Shut up."
Raphael closed his mouth and looked off to the side, conceding.
"Mike, I'm sorry, but you need to stay here," Leo said.
"But..."
"You got it a lot worse than I did, I'm not going to have you out running around in your condition."
Michaelangelo looked to Splinter. The expression on the mammal's face read disapproval for his sons' determination to head blindly out after the creature, but also showed that he agreed with Leonardo's recommendation that the more injured turtle stay behind. Mike nodded and sat back down, rubbing his palms together and looking past them at Leo and Raph.
"Be careful," he said. "Please."
Leonardo nodded and looked towards Splinter, bowing respectfully. Raphael did likewise and the two turtles walked out the door.
"This is yours," Raph said, bending over when they were full into the tunnel.
He held up a sword and flipped it into the air, towards Leonardo. The turtle caught it expertly by the handle and slid it into its sheath without losing any fluidity in the movement. He cracked his knuckles and looked over at Raphael, who's arms were folded tightly across his plastron. Leo shifted his eyes to the ground and looked at a red splotch on the dirt.
"Its gone," he said.
Raphael looked to the ground where Leo's eyes were focused. "What?"
"A rat. There was a dead rat," he pointed. "Right there."
Raphael looked in his brother's face. "Did it take it?"
"No... it took Donny. It left the rat behind."
Raphael unfolded his arms and balled his fists. "Then it must have come back."
"While I was out of it," Leo added.
"But it didn't take you. Why?"
"I wish I knew."
"What's more, it didn't come into the den," Raph said. "We were all asleep, we'd have been easy pickin's."
Leonardo redrew his sword and looked at the blade. It was shiny, no trace of blood. "I know that I came close enough to hit it. I must have. There's no way I could have missed at such close quarters."
"Mysteries upon mysteries," Raphael said. "Right now all I want is to get our brother back. Alive. We'll worry about the rest of this crap later."
Leonardo nodded. "Lets go find Donny."
"And rip up Neikan," Raph added as they began to walk swiftly down the tunnel.
Donatello sat in the darkness, leaning back against something hard and uneven. He didn't know what it was and he didn't care, all that meant anything at that moment was that the thing had gone away. But it wouldn't be gone for long, it would return. That's what it did, it toyed with him, it bounded him off the walls for a few minutes... then it would perch itself upon his plastron and look down at him with those awful white eyes and stare, its mouth dripping blood that came from Don's own injuries.
He felt his arm and the slick, exposed muscle that had once been protected by his skin. That skin had been sheared away, torn by the creatures claws then ripped off the muscle with its razor sharp teeth. All the while, through the torture and the pain Donatello had been unable to fight back, every punch he threw was dodged, every object he wielded was ripped from his grip and turned back on him. He touched the head of a long nail that protruded from his leg and winced. He hadn't remembered that one. Past the pain he could feel nothing specific any more, for all he knew he could have a knife sticking out from the plates on his plastron and he would not be able to differentiate between that and the nail. With so much pain, there was none he could separate.
He let his hand slip to the floor, ignoring the metal sunk into his flesh. What would it matter if he took it out now? He was bleeding anyway, dying a little more by the moment. He laid his head back and let a tear fall down his cheek. Soon the thing would be back, it would start all over again... snarling, sneering - white teeth and eyes the only thing visible in the darkness. It would slide at him noiselessly and launch again upon its prey, sinking its teeth into any unmarred spot left on the turtle's body... there weren't many of those spots left. It was systematically tearing him apart, centimeter by centimeter, ripping away skin and tearing into muscle. Then it would leave him alive, refusing to end the macabre game.
But he wouldn't let the game go on. This time, when it came back, he would fight. He had fought against it before, many times over the past few hours - but this time he would see to it that either the thing died or he did. He would not let it use him any more, he would not be a toy. One blood or another, one life or another. And if he lost, if the thing succeeded in bringing him down again and keeping him alive he would still see to it that only one life remained. His own life would be forfeit - he would die at his own hand. With honor.
He didn't hear it coming, he didn't have to. He was feeling what Raphael had felt, the pull at the back of his mind, the silent announcement. A chill traveled up his spine and he struggled to his feet, pulling the long nail out of his leg. It didn't hurt - no more, at least, than anything else hurt at the moment. He gritted his teeth and stared into the darkness, gripping the nail and balling his fist. Two white eyes came into view, shifting up and down with each step the creature took. Donatello let himself toss aside his thoughts and logic, this was an animal he was fighting. It didn't understand logic or negotiation, it understood survival - and as such, Don would let his own instincts to the fore.
Fire with fire, he thought. Forgive me, Master... I know this is not what you taught me... I know you hoped I would die fighting as you had trained me... but now I can't. I love you, Master...
Donatello screamed out and dove into the darkness, slashing the nail at his adversary's head. The creature dodged and Don landed on his feet, spinning around and baring his own teeth as he slashed again at the thing. It grabbed him by the wrist and hit him in the face with a clawed hand, then throwing him to the dirty ground. Don rolled to his knees and felt the nail still tightly in his grip. Blood trickled down his cheek to the corner of his mouth and he licked it away, growling. It tasted metallic - he liked it. As a logical being he rejected such things - but as an animal, it drove him on.
He leaped onto the creature as it grew near, grabbing its head and swinging behind its back, pulling it down to the ground. It growled and the ninja let out another scream, thrusting out with the nail. This time it made contact, hitting some part of the creature's skin. He slammed his fist against the nail, driving it in deeper. The thing let out a yell of pain and pushed the turtle off it, slamming him against a wall.
Don fell to the ground and landed on his hands and knees. Beneath his palm he felt something flat and cold, his fingers slid along the edge. It was sharp. Perfect. He picked up the jagged metal and squeezed it, cutting into his own palm. That didn't matter, he needed a good grip. In the shadows the creature was struggling, trying in vain to remove the nail from its flesh. Don took advantage of its distraction and launched forward, aiming the metal for the spot between the creature's eyes. It looked up as he came near and squealed, jumping back. The movement did not deter Don's attack and he shifted his aim for a place below the eyes - far enough below the eyes that it would be the thing's throat.
The metal sunk in and Donatello pushed against it, listening to the rip of flesh. Blood spurted onto the ninja's face, past his lips and gritted teeth. It didn't taste like blood - it didn't taste like anything. Like everything else about this creature - its scent, its noise, its breath - the blood was blank. That did not make Don want it to bleed any less. He pulled the metal out and slashed at the thing's face, hitting it flat at the center of its forehead. It fell back and scrambled away, into an even darker corner. Donatello bounded after it, licking the tasteless blood from off his lips. He stopped, starting to shake. He opened his hand and the metal stayed embedded in the skin of his palm, he reached up with the other hand and pulled it out, wincing. That was enough of the fight. He had won - even if the creature was not yet dead it would be soon. It would bleed to death there in that corner, its life flowing from the hole he had slashed into its throat. He didn't smile at the victory - it was no true victory to speak of. He had been vicious - as vicious as the creature itself.
He fell to his knees and leaned forward, spitting out a mouthful of blood - his own and the creature's. In the darkness the thing stared at him, blinking. The only sign that the thing was still alive - the only sign that it was even still there. Don stood up and backed away, one step then another, working his way from the creature's view. At long last he turned and limped forward, away from the evil that lay bleeding in the shadows. Should it choose to attack him now it would be fair play. He had killed it, it would be right for it to try and take him out as well. He still couldn't believe the brutality that he had shown, the animalism that he had been unable to keep hidden within. He wondered what Splinter would say, how he would react to his son's lack of control.
I failed you, Master... he thought. I'm sorry...
He walked on and on, regretting his actions and half- wishing that the thing would come upon him and dig its claws into his throat, to even the score. Behind him the trail of his blood grew wider as more flowed from his varied and prolific wounds. It was all beginning to hurt again as the adrenaline wore off. More, he was getting tired, cold... his head was beginning to swim. He stopped and rested his shell against the sewer wall and started to lower himself to the ground. Halfway down he stopped and his balance failed him, sending him tumbling to his side, his face hit the dirt and it flew up into his eyes. He squeezed them shut, forcing out tears to wash away the grime. Somewhere far away he could hear voices. No, not so far away - near. Very near.
"Then it must have come back.""While I was out of it."
"But it didn't take you. Why?"
"I wish I knew."
"What's more, it didn't come into the den. We were all asleep, we'd have been easy pickin's."
"I know that I came close enough to hit it. I must have. There's no way I could have missed at such close quarters."
"Mysteries upon mysteries. Right now all I want is to get our brother back. Alive. We'll worry about the rest of this crap later."
"Lets go find Donny."
"And rip up Neikan."
Donatello opened his mouth to yell out but no words emerged. They were close - so close. He felt his head grow lighter and rolled onto his plastron, pulling himself along the ground to where the voices had come from. He stopped and rested his head on the ground, taking a deep breath and filling his mouth with up blown dirt. That would be as far as he'd be able to get. But they were near... he wouldn't have to get to them, they would find him. They had to... he was right there...
"Hold on... did you hear something?" Raphael stopped and looked behind them at the tunnel. "What?" Leo asked.
"I don't know... something..." he looked Leonardo in the eye. "You trust me, right?"
Leo hesitated for a moment then replied, "Yes."
"Then come on," he turned and walked back down the tunnel, past the door to the den.
"Raph, Neikan took Don the other way... where are you going?"
"You said you trusted me, right?"
"Well..."
Raph stopped and held out an arm, stalling Leonardo in mid-step. "Hang on." He walked ahead noiselessly and his eyes grew wide. "Donny... oh, my god..."
Donatello was aware. He felt the arms of his brothers wrap around him and lift him up; he sensed the changing of direction when they rounded the corner, through the door into the den. He heard worried voices inquiring about his condition. He heard Mikey.
He's awake... Don thought. Thank God...
They laid him down on a bed - in the infirmary, most likely, and he felt something touch his raw muscle. He drew in a sharp breath with the pain.
"Hey... I think he's awake!" Leo called out. "Don..? Hey, Donny? Can you hear me?"
"Uhn.." the turtle moaned, rolling back and forth on the bed.
"Hold still," Raph said.
Donatello shot up to sitting and looked around him, regretting the action as soon as his head began to spin again. He tilted to the side and he felt several hands guiding him back to the mattress. He opened his eyes, still blurry from the dirt, and looked at his family as they gathered around him. He smiled.
"What happened," Mike asked. "How did you get away from it?"
"It..." Don's smile fell flat and he looked at the ceiling. "I killed it."
Raphael grinned and put his hand on his brother's cheek. "You did good..."
Don closed his eyes and let his body relax, drifting to sleep. Raph removed his hand and looked to his Master, then glanced to the side. Splinter put his hand on Raphael's shoulder.
"What is it, son?"
The turtle looked back at his sleeping brother and then took the other two by the arms, drawing them close to him.
"We have to talk," he said softly.
They nodded and walked to the other side of the room, Mike being aided by Leonardo into an empty chair. Raph sighed and shifted himself into Mark's view.
"Would you keep an eye on Donny for a minute?"
Mark nodded, pursing his lips as he looked down a the turtle's exposed muscle. "Yeah. Is he gonna' be okay?"
"Maybe," Raphael wasn't going to lie. "I hope so."
The turtle joined his brothers and their master at the far side of the room, looking into each face as it looked back at him with intense curiosity.
"He's wrong," he said at long last. "Neikan isn't dead."
"How do you know?" Mike asked.
"Because I can still feel it. Its almost like the damn thing is right here in the room with us."
Leo and Mike looked around them instinctively and Splinter lowered his face.
"Let us tend to Donatello, then I shall attempt to explain," the rat said.
Leo swallowed hard and walked to the medicine chest while Raphael and Splinter returned to Don's side. Mike sat still, thinking over the situation. He turned to look at Leonardo when he heard the other swear softly.
"What?" Mike asked, standing and keeping his hand on the chair for support.
Leonardo stood aside and Mike looked in shock and disgust at a bloody mass lying on one of the shelves in the medicine chest. He limped forward and touched the slick red fur, his hand shaking.
"Rosco?" he said.
Leo tightened his jaw and closed the chest. "Lock the doors," he said. "Neikan is here."