Broken

Chapter 1: Separated

I will never forget that night when my entire world shattered before me. When I was stripped from everything and everyone I loved. It happened on a cold November night, I remember each and every chilling raindrop that stung my skin. I remember my brothers being dragged away from me by the Foot Clan. I remember all the broken promises I made. That everything would be okay, that we would make it back home... I have never been more wrong. I remember the tears that poured from my eyes as I begged them not to take my brothers away from me, but it was in vain as the soldiers only ignored my pleading. The Foot wanted us separated, they wanted our spirits broken. It all started with a normal evening on patrol and now this. I should've known it was an ambush. The soldiers had me pinned down on the ground, my arms behined my shell and my face was planted into the New York concrete.
"Leo!"
I couldn't see. My vision was blurred wit tears and pouring rain, but I knew it was Raphael's voice. I slightly lifted my head just enough to see Raph's dark form being restricted by soldiers. He was trying desperately to get over to me and I saw his fist collide with one of the men's jaw. After that I heard Mikey and Donnie cry out when soldiers gathered around Raph a began tasering him.
"Raph! No!" I tried to force myself off the ground but the Foot kept a firm hold on me. I eventually felt hands grip my shoulders and I was lifted violently to my feet. I could barely see them before they shove me into the cargo truck.
"No Leo!"
"Leo help us!"
I felt like my heart literary tear in two when I heard the sound of my brothers' cries.
The last thing I saw were my brothers being taken in a separate truck. I can still hear their screams playing in my head.
I failed them... I failed protecting my family...failed in taking the Foot down... I failed...
I felt the truck starting to move, which meant I was getting further and further away from home... away from my brothers...away from everything.
I sat in the corner of the truck and cried, allowing my sorrow and grief to consume me. I was never one to show such emotions in public. But this was too much and it brought all my emotions to the surface. I couldn't help feeling like this was all my fault. I wept until I cried myself to sleep.
I woke up sometime later. I don't know how long, maybe a few hours? The sorrow and heartbreak I was feeling made me lose track of time. I must have sobbed for a long time before I went to sleep, cause when I woke, I felt my hands and the edges of my mask was soaked. I haven't slept so great since the separation. Mostly just moments of zoning out. I needed to rest and think of a way to escape. But unfortunately, my sleep was always interrupted by taunting nightmares. Whenever they were taking me, It wasn't less cold, if not colder. I folded my arms close to my plastron, I could see the steam rise from my lips as I breathed through my shattering teeth.
"I'm gonna catch pneumonia before I get to wherever the hell they're talking me."
As the hours passed, the truck never stopped and I was never given any food or water. My stomach got to the point where it ached terribly. I felt like I was starving. All I could do was stare at the walls of the cargo trailer. There were no windows to let the sun shine through. I was consumed by darkness.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
After a few hours of constant driving, I felt the truck finally came to a stop. The doors flung open violently to reveal four Foot soldiers storming up the ramp holding tranquilizer guns and tasers at me. I slowly rose to my feet and raised my hands over my head.
"GET UP FREAK!"
Before I could even walk forward, two soldiers grabbed me under my arms and threw me out of the truck. I tried to catch myself but I lost balance and tripped on the ramp. I slipped and made a painful faceplant into the muddy ground. All the men found amusement in my misery.
"What a filthy swine!"
"Mutant scum!"
I forced my lip not to quiver, my eyes were on the brink of releasing tears. I quickly covered my face to hide my embarrassment. There was no honor in this. I felt a sharp pain when a soldier kicked me in the side.
"Get up!"
I glared daggers at the man. His true face was covered by a mask but had an ever cruel snarl on his lips. The soldier's gun pressed against my cheek.
"I said GET UP!"
I slowly rose to my feet, slightly swaying. They grabbed my hands and put steel cuffs around my wrists. As I looked around the area, I realise were parked in a faded parking lot and near the top of the hill, stood a huge abandoned building. The Foot soldiers grasped my arms and took me inside and we walked the old eerie hallways. I looked and saw a large, faded Red Cross painted on the wall. I was in a hospital. They eventually shoved me into a waiting room.
"Wait here." The men finally left me and slammed the door behined them. I heard the click of the lock.
I sat down in a nearby chair to collect my thoughts.
Okay... I'm in some kind of old hospital that the Foot are using. No doubt for illegal experimentation or other. And scientists are probably gonna come in here and try to experiment on me or worse... they'll inject me with unwanted substances and see what I transform into. Will they make my brothers suffer the same fate as me? Turning us into lab rats? Make us-
My thoughts were interrupted by a forceful opening of the door. More Foot soldiers came at me and dragged me down yet another endless hallway into a large laboratory. In the corner of the room was a glass containment built into the wall. It reminded me of the cage me and my brothers were put in when we were captured by Eric Sacks a year ago. But this one was bigger and had more room, not that that was more comforting to me.
They shoved me into the glass cage, temporarily losing balance for a moment. But once I turned around, they walked out and the steel door automatically slid shut. I charged at the glass, slamming myself against it in an attempt to break through. But this glass was re- enforced. I wasn't getting through this. I grasped my head in my hands and sank to the floor. What do they want with me? What are they gonna do? Where did they take my brothers? All these questions swarmed in my mind.
I felt like I was on the verge of panic.
I tried to take deep breaths to calm my nerves. I rested my head on the back wall, staring up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and exhaled. I had to try to focus on something else. But as much as I tried, my thoughts went back to my brothers, my memories replaying when they were taken away. I only could focus on my failure. The failure of not being the brother they deserved, the failure of not being the leader they needed. I couldn't save them. I was weak... useless...and what am I now?... nothing. I'm nothing to them anymore. And what of my father? What will he think when he finds his sons won't come back home...cause of me?
I tried. I willed for these thoughts to stop, but they were too overwhelming. Tears threatened to fall. My chest began to feel tight and I felt my throat begin to close up. I began to gasp for breath as it got harder to breath. I kept getting hot and cold flashes, making me feel dizzy as sweat beaded down my forehead.
I was having a panic attack.
I hugged my knees close to my chest, silently crying, letting the tears flow down my cheeks. I deeply inhaled and breathed in and out to try to calm myself down. For the first time, I felt scared.
Several moments later I heard the lab door open and two people dressed in lab jackets walked in. Behined then stood a tall, slender man. His black hair was combed back and looked greasy as hell. He wore a black business suite, gray dress pants and well shined shoes. He wore dark glasses, so I couldn't see his eyes. But his face was slender and a devious smile curled on his lips.
The scientists stared at me with awe. I glared back at them. I got up and quickly backed away to the back of the cage as they came closer. I turned my attention back to the man, not paying attention to the scientists anymore as they wrote information on their clipboards. I didn't care.
"I see you are still adjusting to your new... accommodation."
His face was resembled that of a weasel, but to me he looked like the devil in human form.
"How are you doing?"
"Piss off." I hissed in response and rested my head back on my knees, trying to avoid looking at him. I then heard the steel door open and close again. I dare not look up. But I could tell he was in there with me. He bent down to regain eye contact with me but I turned away.
"I'm merely trying to show some hospitality."
I glared daggers at this man. I stared him dead I the eye and spat in his face. He took a deep breath and calmly flicked away the saliva from his eye.
"Very well then..."
"What do you want with me?! Where are my brothers?!"
A weasely smile formed on his bearded face. "My name is Carlos Quinn, and it is important that you address me by my name when you speak to me."
"I don't care what your fucking name is!"
"You should Leonardo, I'm the one that knows where the rest of you freakish family is being contained."
I was caught off guard when I heard him say my name. "H-how do you know my name?"
"Mr. Sacks has told me much about you."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Sacks? Erick Sacks?!"
"He and I are working together on this project. He told me about the last time he encountered you and the mutagen he obtained from your blood. We both decided to take his work a step further. Besides, Sacks spent good money on you from the Foot, at least we'll both get our money's worth."
"I don't belong to anyone!"
"Well now you do."
I hated this man. I hated him more than the Shredder.
"You said you know where my brothers are. You will tell me where they are...NOW!"
Even through my rage, he seemed to remain perfectly calm.
"That is none of your concern right now. You are the most important asset to this project and tomorrow we will begin testing once asset 002 arrives."
That didn't sound good. What exactly does this lunatic have planned for me? And what does he mean by asset 002? Whatever the case, Erick Sacks is involved in this and I know I'm in deep trouble. I have to find a way to escape this, fast...