The day Casey Jones had come running into the lair with a broken-hearted expression and a black bag was the day in which we learned about his family. Leonardo could remember the scene perfectly, him in the dojo, practicing his katas while everyone else did their thing until Raph had called out for his presence. With a sigh, he placed his katana back in its seath and gently displayed it on the wall.

           Jogging over, he opened the screen door to reveal April and Casey in the pit, talking to each other in loud voices. "What is it Raph." He asked the red clad turtle who shrugged and pointe to the bickering humans. "Yo, I get that you're worried about something but I don't get what." Mikey intervened into the conversation, holding his video game controller and playing an retro game without looking back at Casey or April.

          "How are you saying that they went missing? You live in the same apartment for turtle's sake!" April argued to the teenage boy. "I don't know, all I know is that they were in their room and then when I wake up the next day they're gone without a trace!" Casey defended, letting his hands up to show defeat.

             "How could you not have heard anything going on next door? You said you found a shuriken, there would have been a fight, right?"

              "I don't know, H is pretty hard to beat but if they had been outnumbered in their room then they would have gotten overwhelmed."

               "Maybe it happened while they were outside?" April asked, pacing back and forth. Leo had enough and it seemed Raph had too. "Can ya' explain what's wrong cause I don't understand and ya' bickering ain't helping nobody." Raphael complained, leaning on his punching back with his arms crossed.

                 "Alright, have you ever heard of Casey's friend, Zukuzi Huro?" April asked, Donatello surfaced from his lab at the right moment. "Who?" Mikey questioned, turning to the red head. "I believe you once mentioned them in passing conversation." Donatello informed before April could even get a word in.

                "Well, long story short. They live with me an' they just up and disappeared yesterday." Casey explained, turning to be able to look at everyone's reactions. Leo couldn't believe it. "How?" Leo asked, glancing at Raph with a worried expression, this could be a threat to them and other civilians.

"I had come home and H was in their room, I knocked on their door but they didn't say anything. I didn't pry, knowing they liked being alon' and that when they don't answer then they don't want to be walked in on. Lil' sis comes back from school with dad and we eat dinner and they ain't still there so my dad told me to check up on em. I go up and their room is empty, only finding this." He shows a shuriken with a symbol engraved in it. "An' this." He sets the weapon down and takes off the bag that was slung over their shoulder, sitting it on the couch gently and crouching to open it up.

The bag opened to reveal a canister of mutagen. "Mutagen? What were they doing with it?" Donatello questioned, circling the pit and reaching in and gently grabbing the green and blue chemical they were so familiar with. "And what happened for there to be a foot clan shuriken in the wall?" Leonardo follows up, expertly holding the weapon between his green fingers.

"I dunno guys but I don't know who else to turn to. I can't just tell my dad and lil' sis our sibling got nabbed by a psycho who wants to kill us all." Casey looked crestfallen, April comes up next to him and gives him a silent side hug as a sign of comfort. "Well then, wat' are ya' gonna tell em?" Raphael asked from beside Donatello who kept looking at the canister to see if it was marked in some way.

Mikey piped up from behind April and Casey, popping his head between theirs. "What about you say they went on a mandatory last minute trip?" Michelangelo suggested, everyone looked at him with surprise. "That's, actually a good idea." Leo said, an expression of bewilderment on his face. "Where did you learn what mandatory was?" Donnie commented, tearing his eyes away from the mutagen.

"TV dawg!" Mikey exclaimed, putting his arms around Casey and April and pulling them in a sweet hug. Casey pleadingly looked toward Raph whom only smirked in response. April was able to escape with ease which prompted Mikey to let go of the hockey boy, said hockey boy sighed in relief, muttering a small ow under his breath. "What are we waiting for? Let's go." Raphael questioned, gesturing to the door.

             "Are you serious Raph? We don't even have the slightest clue where they are and why and you're suggesting that we just go in there and blindly rush in?" Leo asked from Donnie's shoulder the red clad turtle seemed to grow a bit frustrated. "Yes." He deadpans with a nonchalant expression.

               "That's a suicide mission. For all we know they could be dead or in Japan or even worse." The leader explained, Casey seemed to deflate at the blue clad turtle's words, knowing wholeheartedly that they could be true. Raph noticed this and grew irritated at the assumption that his best friend's housemate could be gone and the fact that he acknowledged that in front of him. "Then we look and see if that hit the spot or not!" He exclaimed, brushing past Donnie who didn't want to get in the middle of this and got all up in Leo's face.

                "That's just an unnecessary risk Raph, I'm not putting everyone in the line of fire for what all that we know could be a corpse! We need to plan and search to see where they are first!" Leonardo yelled back, desperate for his little brother to see reason while everyone in the background unconsciously huddled around Casey who seemed uncharacteristically silent and sad at the idea of someone so close to him being gone.

                   "Then-" Raphael started to reply but was cut off by their Sensei's voice whom had entered the room. "Enough! What is the meaning of this yelling?!" He loudly stopped the confrontation, both arguing parties stopped their shouting match and lightly backed down but still glared at each other.

                     "Explain!" Master Splinter exclaimed, harshly hitting his staff against the floor, a loud bang echoing through the lair which made all four of the turtles lightly wince. "Master Splinter, we were discussing whether or not to go after Casey's friend, Zukuzi Huro, who seems to have been taken by Shredder last night." Leo explained, his head tilting down in a sign of respect and slight embarrassment at his behavior, Raphael however seemed to remain unabashed at the fact that he partook in the argument nonetheless, he left the talking to Leo.

             "Then what is the yelling about?" He questions, his tongue sharp and determined to find the root of the discussion. "Raph was saying that we should go after Zukuzi immediately, I was saying that we should plan and find where they are first before going out to find them as we should not be putting our family at risk." The leader continued, silencing himself afterwards to hear his father's words.

             Master Splinter stroked his beard in thought for a few seconds before placing his two cents in. "Very well, you will go investigate Zukuzi's bedroom tonight to find any more clues and then Donatello will conduct research when you get back. First you will plan and find where they are located as you will be no use to them captured or dead." He ordered. "Is that clear?" He barked, sharply observing his sons and their companions.

"Hai."
"Crystal."
"Yes Sensei."
"Yes Master Splinter."
"Yes."
"Yes it is Master Splinter."

"Then there is no more to discuss, now, I will be meditating." He announced, turning around and disappearing behind the Japanese screens that was the dojo. The silence between them lasted for a minute or two before being broken by Mikey. "So are we just gonna stand here or what? Cause I got comics to read."

___________________________________

Donatello groaned in frustration as he stared at his homemade computer that flashed red. Another unsuccessful attempt to hack into Shredder's information. After investigating Zukuzi's bedroom they had found nothing to further their investigation -though certainly piquing the scientist's interest with the machinery that they had created. He had collected the mechanical parts that seemed to have been haphazardly stuffed underneath Zukuzi's bed -seemingly in a desperate hurry.

Although interesting it made no leads further on their missing person case so he turned to compiling data, which wasn't a lot. Then after a bit of research he had tried to hack into Shredder's files, emphasis on the tried. He, as genius as he may be, doesn't mean he knows how to break through the complex walls that made up the foot Clan database, they had people who actually studied this, the Kraang on the other hand as intelligent as their species is has codes that even kinder gardeners could get through.

Okay, maybe not that far.

He had asked April to order a book on advanced hacking which would set him on the right path but it would take a month since its being shipped from the other side of the world, apparently it was so recently created it had to be made in Germany then sent to the UK to be translated then over to Florida by boat and then brought up to New York. IE, the English version didn't shelling exist yet.

A swell of pity formed in the purple clad turtle's chest. Even if he had gotten that book sooner, the studying and attempts would be infinitesimal and having to sift through all of the subjects to find them would be even more complicated -since he doubted it would still be their actual name on the cover of the experiment. Not only that they would still have to plan for everything beforehand.

He only hoped Zukuzi Huro lived long enough to be rescued.

_____________________________

         H21R0 felt dry, crusty blood stick to their skin making them shiver in disgust at the feeling. They sat on the floor of their cell like an animal, their 'room' bare and dusty, except for a rag which was hanging from a nail on the wall, they curled up in the corner, shaking from the cold temperatures of the winter. They exhaled and a cloud of mist came from their chapped lips, reminding them of the cold which caused them to hug themselves closer.

Two pairs of footsteps echoed through the hall ominously, rustling and curses also accompanied the noise, they shook in fear, what would be next? Waterboarding for the millionth time? A second brand? "Stop your writhing, mutant." Someone he recognized as Tiger Claw -ironically- barked at someone, the sounds did not stop, on the contrary they increased in volume. "I'll never listen to someone like you." A smooth, sultry voice spat back, his voice was velvet but slightly hoarse, as if it had been used to its extremes recently.

Tiger Claw chuckled ominously and some chains rattled loudly in response, the other voice grunted, seemingly having been unpleasantly yanked forwards like H21R0 had experienced before. "Hope you like your new room, turtle." The feline villain sarcastically taunted, a harsh thud sounded in the cell next to them and chains rattled again before the iron bars were slammed shut and then locked.

The person stayed quiet, seemingly not wanting to satisfy him with a response. Tiger Claw stepped back, now coming in line of sight of H21R0, the feline had a wicked smirk on his face before turning towards the experiment who paled at the sick joy in his eyes. The subject had no energy to fight back when he opened the door and reach in for them, only ducked down and huddled closer.

        H21R0 felt their arm being gripped tightly, claws digging into their sickly pale skin but not enough to cause blood to bubble up. "Please." They weakly pleaded with Tiger Claw, their voice was raspy and low, barely recognisable from the strong vocals it once used to be a almost ago. "It's mutagen day." He informed, slinging H21R0 over his shoulder, they lay limp on his back, their body too sore to move.

         They hated mutagen day, the bug would pump blood into their veins and write down whatever the hell he was doing to them on its notes. Sometimes he would up the dose, others he would have it pumping into them for days at a time. It would hurt, burning, white hot pain would encompass their entire body, feeling as if they were thrown into a volcano. There would be times when even their nerves would fail and they would become numb. This prevented the subject from even being able to think about leaving.

       Even if the experiment decided to try to escape, any entrance and/or exit was practically covered in foot bots, they would be beaten to a pulp before even stepping foot outside. They learned that from experience.

       The lab was the same, everything in its normal, dull place where it belongs. The only thing that ever changed was the calendar on the wall, the subject strained to see the date from their position on Tiger Claw's back but they managed to see that it was now September. The tiger mutant grabbed their back and slammed H21R0 onto the metal slab like a rag doll, a groan slipping out of the experiment's lips. The examination table was coated in patches of blood and substances, it would only be cleaned once a month and if it was it would be by H21R0's own hand.

        They would force them on their knees and throw cleaning supplies as them if they caught it then they could clean it, if not, then better luck next month. The first attempt at this they had been able to catch it effortlessly but now with their beaten and broken body they doubted they would even lift a pencil.

        Snapping out of their thoughts H21R0 concentrated on their peripheral vision, trying to see if they could see the mad scientist that was buzzing in their ears. "Hello experiment." The bug hissed at them, their gaze snapped to where his voice came from only to lock eyes with the mutant.

          "Today we will be seeing if your night vision can stand being in a pitch black room, you will be left in there for 24 hours, examined and then thrown back in for 48." Stickman explained, flying around and collecting a few things, a few bottles of water, some saltines, rubbing alcohol and a book that said 'The Art Of Meditation Limited Edition.' H21R0 raised an eyebrow at the items but didn't dare open their mouth. "The examination room is a bare room that will be pitch black with a few surprises but the door will be unlocked, letting you leave at any point in time. You will be left there to be expected to stay in for 24 hours, if you succeed, I will give you this bottle of water and I will examine you if you fail it will be 20 whippings to the back. Then you will be subjected for 48 hours, if you succeed I will give you this food, cleanser and book. Even if you fail or don't you will still be whipped 60 times to observe your endurance and for our own amusement."

         The experiment couldn't help but retort. "Then what gives me incentive to try and succeed the 48 hours if I'm going to be punished anyway." The bug set down the items and walked closer, sticking his face in theirs. "Because then you will have something to treat your wounds."

         He pulled back and clapped his hands together. "Let's start."