A/N: Gosh, I'm so sorry for just disappearing! I tend to do that *rubs back of neck sheepishly*. Wow, summer's gone by fast, and you guys didn't get, like, any updates! I'm a horrible person, I know… And I'm terribly, terribly sorry! Summer always seems to be the worst time to write stories for me because I just get so lazy and unmotivated, but now that school's almost back (and my third year of college, ugh) let's hope I'll procrastinate on homework by writing this! Honestly, that's usually how I write most of my stuff…

Anyway, you're probably raring to read the next chapter! This one's shorter than I expected it, and I had quite a few issues with it. In the end, I sort of cut off a good portion of it to save for the next chapter. You've been waiting too long as it is!

For the record, I've only had one person beta this, and that person wasn't my usual beta, but she is a good friend of mine, so I'd like to thank Liz-a-FREEND for helping me with this chapter! Love ya Liz! :D

Review responses for those whom I didn't respond to via PM:

I Love Kittens too:

"Good chapter and I hope they find Raph.
Update soon."

Ahh, thank you! I'm glad you liked it! And I'm sorry, I did not update soon as you requested O.o

ss:

"hope leo gets his shell handed to him he needs to learn hes not perfect and just cause his splinters favorite doesn't mean jack in the real world"

Yeah, Leo's got some things to learn, but honestly they all have a lot to learn! Thanks for the review! I know I've written a good chapter when you guys are mad at the characters rather than at me XD

Chapter 5: (FINALLY)

His legs felt like two columns of sewer sludge as he stumbled after Dr. Kochanski. He felt as if he were walking on a swaying boat, and the second he crossed the threshold into the hallway, a high pitched whirring scratched at his eardrums. It was just at the edge of his hearing range in both frequency and amplitude, and the lighting suddenly seemed different too. Maybe just a strange type of fluorescent bulb they were using in the hallway, and he could certainly ignore it altogether if he focused on something else… Like memorizing the layout of the building.

Don swept his eyes over the corridor, noting with a small amount of surprise that the guards were all walking in front of him rather than in formation around him. That was odd… Wouldn't they miss it if he happened to slip away? He almost wanted to try it: surely they were just overconfident in their ability to control him. But what if that confidence wasn't misplaced? He'd be dead if he lost that bet… No, better to wait it out and see. Or maybe he could speed up the process a little.

Another glance around the hallway, more obvious this time, and he slowed down just barely as he walked, mouthing his observations to himself. It only lasted about eight seconds before one of the guards whipped around to face him, one hand held up to his other wrist in plain view.

"Keep your head down!" he commanded, and Don wasted no time in pulling his gaze down to the floor, hoping to sidestep any more jolting penance for his disobedience.

There were cameras watching him from every angle. That had to be it, although he hadn't noticed any. Cameras, and someone actually watching those cameras. Security was a bit tighter than he'd expected, then…

Although he kept his head down, counting the tiles in the floor to keep track of how long the hallway was, he couldn't help but notice as they passed through two different checkpoints, each policed by two more guards. It would be a difficult place to break out of, even with his training as a ninja. For now, he would just have to have faith that his brothers would come for him, and in the meantime, he would try to focus on just what these scientists intended to do with him. He remembered they'd said something about a mental experiment, but the arduous test he'd just been put through wasn't a mental one at all. There was still sweat dripping down his face, collecting uncomfortably in the hollow between his neck and his shell, but at least he could breathe again. His lungs still ached for air, but he knew from experience that it wouldn't last too much longer.

The thing he was more concerned about at the moment was his need for water. Marathon runners were always given plenty of fluids before, during, and after the event, and he hadn't been allowed anything yet. Now that he thought about it, there was a strange buzzing at the back of his head, and the grout in the tiles was starting to look almost blurry. As they continued to walk, he nearly lost his balance, tilting just a little too far to the right. All symptoms of dehydration, he realized. If they didn't give him something soon, he was certain he would faint. No, he didn't have time to think about this, he had to figure out what these people were planning!

Don wracked his brain, trying to think of a way that running a marathon could tie into his mental state… Endorphin levels maybe? But couldn't any legitimate scientific group study that fairly easily, and hadn't they already done so? Besides, with all the security, this facility couldn't be anything but top secret, and there was no way they would put in the effort to capture a mutant for an experiment so inane. He almost wanted to laugh out loud for even thinking it, but at the same time, he had to bite back a growl of frustration. He just didn't know, and Donatello was not a turtle who could deal with not knowing. He also wasn't afraid of much, but this was more than enough to make him nervous.

He had never really studied psychology all that much, preferring more concrete sciences like physics, for example. He was beginning to regret that now. All he had ever been able to do with his knowledge of psychology was unofficially diagnose Mikey with ADHD, and that certainly wouldn't be helpful here. For all his intellect, he was absolutely useless in this situation, and it stung his pride more than he would have thought possible.

He could feel his anxiety rising up to swallow his frustration in the span of a single second. He had no idea how altered his mental state would be once his brothers were able to rescue him, and no idea how easy it would be to pull him back from if there was nothing left of his mind to be salvaged? A pins and needles sensation traveled up his fingers, and he curled them into shaking fists.

Don shook his head, pushing the thoughts away like a plate of Mikey's black liquorice, tuna, and hot sauce pizza. It would do no good to panic right now; he had to focus on whatever this initiation ritual was.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he caught the scent of chlorine wafting through air that seemed almost humid. The thick scent pulled at his memory, dragging him back to a fight on a rooftop that had ended with Raphael and a Foot soldier falling through a glass skylight and into a swimming pool directly below.

Surely they weren't expecting him to swim? After running the lion's share of a marathon? Maybe they just had to walk past the pool or something…

The entire group stopped outside a set of double doors, just where the chlorine smell was strongest. Turtle luck, running true to form, he thought to himself, realizing that the voice in his head suddenly sounded like Raph.

One of the guards turned and handed him a water bottle. He stared at it for a few moments trying to figure out if it was safe to drink, then threw caution to the wind and drained the bottle in one go.

Dr. Kochanski smiled yet another artless smile. "If you're that thirsty, we can get you some more, Don."

Donatello stared down at the empty plastic bottle in his hands then back up at the doctor, not sure whether he was allowed to speak. He nodded instead, realizing that he had forgotten to even smell the water for foreign contaminants in his haste to get the feel of cotton out of his mouth.

Inwardly, he was kicking himself. He hadn't even run a full marathon and his discipline had gone out the window. His father's disappointment weighed down on him like a backpack full of rocks. Splinter had taught them to be wary of their enemies, and here he had taken water from them without a moment's hesitation. Some ninja he was, but... Would Splinter rather he obey the scientists, or pass out from dehydration? Both of those options seemed horrible, but Don couldn't seem to think straight, at least until he remembered that confusion was yet another symptom of dehydration. Maybe... maybe water really was a good idea right now, regardless of what was in it.

The second bottle of water was not guzzled as the first had been, and although it had nothing suspicious about it, there was no way to be sure that they hadn't laced the first with anything.

Dr. Kochanski cleared his throat as Don finished. "You're about to meet some of the other experiments, Don. If all goes well, one or two of them may end up as your roommates. Now, do you remember the rules?"

He nodded, but that wasn't enough.

"Recite them, please."

Don didn't hesitate. "Don't mention where I came from and pretend that I've always lived and like living here. Don't attack or resist the personnel, and do what they say. Don't talk about being an experiment and don't tell the others that they are experiments. Don't attempt to escape or encourage others to escape. No cultural references."

The doctor nodded. "And the last one?"

He sighed and continued. "I am being monitored at all times. Failure to comply with the first five rules will result in my termination along with the execution of my family." If you can catch them, he added to himself as he held back a smirk.

"Excellent! See, I told you this one was smart!"

Don suddenly felt more like some kind of show dog than an individual with free will, but he forced back his revulsion, his indignance, and kept a straight face as the guards opened the doors to the natatorium.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting. Maybe something more sinister looking, but it was just a normal indoor pool. There was even a set of bleachers on one side, like he'd seen on TV during those live-action Disney movies that Mikey watched sometimes. Sitting on those bleachers was the most hodgepodge group of humans... Or at least he thought they were humans... That Don had ever seen. Two of them had fur like Master Splinter, and one of them almost looked like it had scales.

Dr. Kochanski led him to stand in front of the group, looking around with a slightly puzzled expression. "Ari is probably washing his hands..." he mumbled, before shrugging and motioning to Don." This will be your new member, hybrids!"

Their eyes turned to him, and the urge to run away, to blend into the shadows and flee, was almost physically tangible. There had been people watching him since he had been taken to this place, but for some reason, the instinct to stay in the darkness where no one could look at him only flared up now, in front of these mutants who would, in the real world, be just as out of place as he was. It made absolutely no sense.

Don gulped, trying not to let his pounding heart block out the doctor's introduction.

"This is Nickolai, 2 percent komodo dragon," he said, motioning to a hybrid with dark grey, scaly skin. Nickolai gave him more of a snarl than a welcome, and the doctor moved on.

"That's Cedric, 2 percent civet." This one actually smiled back, showing off canines that made him almost look like a vampire. Although he lacked fur, his skin was spotted, a darker band running across his face and over his eyes like the mask of a raccoon.

"This here is Lark," Dr. Kochanski directed Don's gaze to a female hybrid whose skin had an almost greenish hue, as well as a beak that was almost similar to his own. "3 percent alligator snapping turtle." The expression on Lark's face was one of disgust.

"Over here we have Bruno, 13 percent ox..." Don's eyes widened as he got a better look at a creature so similar to a Minotaur he was having trouble discerning the difference. The only things missing were the hooves. He looked away quickly when he recognized the anger on the hybrid's face.

"And lastly, this is Megan, 1.5 percent Great Blue Heron." She smiled at him, almost reminding him of April for a moment. Her hair was grey, and on further inspection, he realized that it was actually comprised of long, thin feathers rather than normal human hair.

He gave a faint smile back, wondering if it would be smart to bow to them, just as Splinter had taught them to handle introductions, and as he was contemplating the consequences of such a bow, he realized with a jolt that he was standing in front of five viable animal-human hybrids. Despite the fact that he himself was one, Don hadn't anticipated that anyone on earth had perfected this kind of technology yet, but here they were in front of him. Being a scientist himself, he couldn't help but be awed by their very existence. There was something wrong, though. Dr. Kochanski had forgotten one...

He looked over at the last hybrid, what looked like a humanoid rat much like Master Splinter, save that this one had reddish brown fur rather than grey.

Dr. Kochanski followed Don's gaze and quickly spoke up. "That one's Taz, but I wouldn't expect much from him. He's not human enough to speak, roughly 23 percent harvest mouse."

Don's previous fascination with their advances in genetics was quickly smothered by anger and disgust. He had forotten for a moment the sacrifices that often had to be made for the sake of science, and regardless of whether he was one of those sacrifices, regardless of what these people's intentions were, this was wrong.

Taz didn't even perk up at the sound of his name, and he'd een staring off into space for God knew how long.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Well, we had better get started if we want to be finished in time for lunch!" I chose the pool this time to give Don a bit of an advantage considering he's just taken a stamina and endurance test."

Don caught sight of Megan making a face, probably at the mention of the test due to her more stocky build. She wasn't fat necessarily, but Don could tell she probaby disliked physical activity. It also didn't escape his notice that Bruno was standing up, cracking his knuckles with a grin. It was a struggle to keep his eyes from widening as he realized just how big the hybrid was, 6'6'' and almost powerful enough to give Leatherhead a run for his money in brute force.

Bruno stripped off his t-shirt, and it was then that Don recognized that he was wearing trunks rather than regular pants. Now that he thought of it, all of the hybrids were wearing t-shirts and either shorts or pants. He was the only one that wasn't wearing anything, and although he had never had a problem with the way he and his brothers didn't wear clothes except for their gear, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious in front of the hybrids.

"For this group, the initiation ritual usually involves some sort of match against Bruno as a kind of... test… of the abilities you have as a hybrid. You can go ahead and take off your elbow and knee pads along with your belt and bandana if you like, Don."

So they were going to make him swim after all, and it was going to be a competition. He sighed, pulling off his pads and his belt. He hesitated with the knot on his bandana, wondering if leaving it on would reveal just how important it was to him, before taking that off, too. Honestly, he was surprised they had let him keep it for so long, but in the end, if he needed to be fast in the water, it would be helpful not to have anything drag behind him.

"All right, first hybrid to surrender will, of course, lose the match. You may begin when I blow the whistle."

Wait, what? They wanted him to fight? Don spared a glance at his opponent, realizing that the hybrid probably weighed at least twice as much as he did. This... this was not good. He was going to have to fight an enormous ox hybrid without his weapon, in a swimming pool after running a marathon, having eaten nothing since... Since... Honestly, he didn't know how long it had been. He had been unconscious most of the time.

The sound of a whistle nagged at his swirling thoughts, doubling the beat of his heart when he realized that Bruno was headed straight for him. Oh shell, he thought, hardly getting a chance to brace himself before he was tackled into the pool.

"Guys, I think I saw somethin'! Disappeared down that alley over there."

Raph sunk deeper into the shadows behind the dumpster, doing his best to melt into them completely.

Bad idea, he chided himself, really bad idea... Shoulda told somebody where I was going, maybe asked someone to come with. No point dwelling on that part now, though. His shell cell had been crushed beneath him when Hun had tried to pin him to the floor, and he still had Purple Dragons tailing him, not to mention the alley he was cornered in had no roof or sewer access. The way everything was spinning, he was fairly certain he'd earned himself a concussion, too...

It would be tough to get out of this one, but he had already made it through a tougher scrape: getting out of the warehouse in one piece. Now he just had to stay in one piece, make it home before anyone woke up and say he'd fallen over the railing of the second level while sleepwalking or something. Leo was going to kill him if he found out, he was certain of it.

Fourteen of 'em. Sheesh, how did I get so lucky...

Hiding wasn't going to work with these guys, he could sense it. Not while he was stumbling around like a drunk, anyway. They would hear every step he took, and there was no way they would overlook him back here, even as stupid as they all were. He glanced down at the blood oozing sluggishly from the gash that ran at least five inches along the back of his knee and down the inner side of his calf. He didn't know how much blood he'd lost already, but he figured it had to be more than just a little. Shell, he couldn't wait to get home and just let Don patch him u-...

Don's not home, moron, he growled inwardly. The Purple Dragons didn't even know he was missing.

They knew now, though. Raph had made sure of that, sneaking into their lair and demanding answers from Hun himself. Obviously that little confrontation hadn't ended well.

They were only three feet away from his hiding spot now, no way they'd overlook him if they turned around. He still had the element of surprise on his side, so long as he acted first...

The Dragon closest to the dumpster never saw what hit him.

A/N: I love all of you! Thanks for sticking with me even when I fail to update!