Note: Sorry it's taken so long ta get this chapter up. I knew what I wanted ta happen, but the problem was finding the right words. Heh. x-0; Thanks for reviewin' everyone! :grins: Okay, to partially answer the question as to why the soldiers want Casey rather than the turtles; mainly, the soldiers that have Casey want to experiment with him, rather than on him. If that makes sense ta anyone but me. lol. Well, uh..enjoy!

Shadow Games: IX

Three long days had gone by without any sign of Casey, and his absense was taking it's toll on everyone, even those who frequently got annoyed with him such as Don and Leo. The turtles should have been back in New York by now, but they'd called Master Splinter on a shell-cell and explained their situation. None of the guys wanted to leave April alone, and Raphael was adamant about finding the people that took Casey and beating the ever-lovin' crap out of them.

Weary from their shift searching the snowy woods, Leonardo and Donatello trudged back into the farmhouse and slumped down on the sofa.

"Anything" Michelangelo asked quietly as he carried a small pile of logs toward the wood stove.

Leo shook his head with a dismal sigh.

"Even my D.A.T. couldn't pick up on any signals" Donatello frowned.

Mikey shoved some logs into the fire before turning toward his brother and raising an eyebrow. "Dat"

"Mm-hm." Donnie nodded. "DNA Analyzing Transponder. It can detect trace amounts of DNA. I programmed the sequence of Casey's DNA into the computer brain of the transponder by using a strand of hair found on his pillow. If it finds anything, the DAT will emit a radio signal." He held up something that looked like a Palm Pilot with several wires hanging off it.

"Riiiight." Giving a partial shrug, Mikey plopped himself down on the beanbag chair before reaching over and turning on the tv.

Footsteps sounded on the creaky stairs as April and Raphael made their way down. "We're goin' out" Raph muttered toward Don, Mike, and Leo before making his exit out the door with April.

Angry and confused thoughts ran through Casey's mind as he sat on the cold floor of his cell. This was a different one than where he had been when he first arrived at the place he had come to call"The Chamber". This new cell was just as cold as the last one, there was a tattered mattress in the middle of the floor to serve as a bed, and a grungy toilet was in the back right corner. Casey had assumed he'd been in The Chamber for a few days, but for the life of him, he still didn't know what these guys had done to him. All he knew was that the only person he saw was Sarge or the occasional guard, but he could always hear the one called "Sir".

Climbing to his feet stiffly, Casey stepped toward the ratty old mattress and sunk down on it, his legs stretched out in front of him and his head dropped down to his chest. The only clothing he was given was still just a pair of boxer shorts, though he'd been given clean ones atleast twice, when Sarge threw the familiar black hood over his head and he was dragged to a grungy tiled room with a drain in the floor and literally hosed down. Pretty much everything else about his time in The Chamber was hazy, and he'd woken several times with stitchwork on his body in numerous places.

Raising his head slightly, Casey gingerly rubbed his upper left arm where criss-cross stitching marred his flesh. He couldn't understand what had been done to him or why, and he was furious. It was time to take a stand.

A moment of opportunity soon presented itself when Casey heard Sarge's familiar footsteps approaching his cell. He figured he was in for more procedures that involved being drugged and waking up even more confused, but this time he wasn't going to obediently go along in a zombie-like trance.

Hearing the lock click before Sarge slid open the cell door, Casey stood robotically as if he was numb in the head. He walked stiffly toward the opening with his hands crossed at the wrists in front of him like he was waiting to be cuffed. As Sarge stepped aside, Casey could tell that the soldier had definetly led his guard down with him lately, because he had gotten pretty cooperative. Rookie mistake. He didn't even have the electroprod out this time.

Casey inwardly smirked as he narrowed his eyes and let his hair fall into his face, casting his features in shadow. He remained still as Sarge took out the black hood to pull over his head, this time mistakenly coming from the front instead of the back like he usually did. Swinging up his arms astonishingly fast, even to Casey, he struck Sarge hard in the jaw with both fists, knocking the startled soldier flat on his back. Then he made a run for it.

"Argh! Dammit"

He could hear Sarge screaming angrily as he ran down dark, cement hallways. Casey had no idea where he was going since every time he was moved from his cell he was forced to wear that stupid hood. Continuing to run blindly, he skidded down a hallway to the right, the smooth cement floor slick with water, causing him to slide around the turn. Regaining his footing, Casey quickened his pace, trying to desperately figure out which way would lead him out. The whole place was like the damn Labyrinth, and he half-expected some weird creature to pop out of a hidden door and start chasing him or something. Unfortunately, Casey pretty much got his wish, in one way or another.

As he bolted down another corridor, he suddenly lost all hope of escape. Atleast twelve suited and masked guards armed with electroprods and tranquilizer rifles blocked his way. Frowning angrily, Casey quickly turned back, stumbling to a halt only to find more guards behind him. He was trapped. Sarge musta called in for back-up, he thought bitterly, his arms dropping limply by his sides.

"Alright, alright! Outta the way" Sarge barked at the group of guards behind Casey, shoving his way through. His face was twisted in anger, a bit of blood dripping down his cut lip where he bit it when Casey socked him in the jaw. "You're gonna pay for this lowlife." Sarge snapped, throwing the black hood over his prisoner's head.

Casey felt something sharp prick his neck, and he let out a slurred curse before falling limply to the floor.

Blue eyes opened slowly to blearily find himself strapped to a table. "Whu-what'sh..goin' on" Casey slurred, his mind feeling foggy as he also discovered with horror that he was unable to move. It wasn't just because of the restraints, it was like all his muscles had stopped working. He heard sadistic laughter, then Sarge's voice.

"You're not gonna be able to move, so don't bother straining yourself" he sneered wickedly, his face looming over Casey and bathed in shadow. "Muscle relaxants and paralyzers work wonders. Can't have you breaking precious bones as you convulse from the electroshock therapy, now can we"

Casey's eyes widened in helpless terror as Sarge's laughter sounded in his ears again.

"Don't think you're getting any painkillers or anesthetics either lowlife. This is for that cheap shot to my jaw" Sarge spat as he rubbed conductive jelly on Casey's temples and attached electrodes before shoving a rubber block in his mouth so he didn't bite off his tongue. "I'm gonna warn ya, I'm an amateur at this procedure." he snickered with a sick grin while moving over to a machine and pressing a button.

Casey's teeth clamped down hard on the rubber block in his mouth as an electric current shot through his brain. Intense pain wracked his body, and as the seizure continued, he passed out.

"You wanna head back, you gettin' tired" Raphael asked as he glanced over at April who seemed to be scouring every square inch of the snowy ground for clues of some kind.

"No" April shook her head, pocketing her gloves and pulling out a different pair. She'd learned quickly that it helped to carry another set of gloves while being out in the cold for a while, because the pair she'd first been wearing always got wet or cold, and the ones in her pockets would be warm and dry. She was tired, but there was no way she was going to turn in yet. April was determined to find something. "Let's keep going."

Raph nodded, admiring her determination. They soon found themselves approaching the cave where Casey had been taken, and he knew that it had been searched several times, but they would still scour every bit of it. "I'll head inside, work on breakin' down that collapsed wall o' rocks again." he told April with a short grunt.

"Okay, I'll check the perimeter." she said before taking off.

As April headed around the cave, she rose a brow upon discovering what looked to be tire tracks from ATVs, and maybe a bigger four-wheel-drive vehicle of some kind. Following the tread marks, she was led further around the cave until her green eyes settled upon the figure of an unconscious man, his wrists bound together with thick rope that hung over a tree limb, causing his bare toes to just barely touch the snowy ground. April gasped, clutching a hand to her chest and feeling as though her heart had just stopped. "Casey" she choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she forced her legs to start working again and ran unsteadily toward him.

Hearing April's scream, even though it was unclear to him what she'd said, Raphael was immediately on alert, dashing out of the cave entrance and making his way around. He skidded to a halt when he spotted her, struggling to free a barely-clothed, unconscious Casey where he dangled from his wrists on a thick tree limb.

"Raph" April pleaded, turning to the turtle with teary eyes. "Help me get him down! Hurry"

Shaking off his shock, Raphael ran up to April, quickly brandishing his sais and hopping up on the branch since he couldn't reach it otherwise. He quickly cut away at the thick rope, then jumped down hurriedly so he could catch Casey before he slumped to the ground, even though April was there also trying to support his weight. "What did they do to 'im" he whispered as he looked his friend over. He was clothed only in a pair of tattered boxer shorts, faint lines from shoddy stitchwork all over his body.

April didn't say anything, just checked Casey's pulse and shed her outer jacket, draping it over him. "We need to get him to the house." she said seriously, hastily brushing away more tears.

Raphael pulled off one of his heavy sweatshirts, putting it on Casey before carefully hefting him onto his shoulder.

April and Raphael had been back at the farmhouse with Casey for about half an hour now, and Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo were all shocked and confused about how Casey had been found. He was just left there, almost as if he was no longer needed but not worth the effort to kill. Either that, or something else was going on. Could this all be a trick?

Leo and Donnie had taken the mattress from the other bed in Raph's room and dragged it downstairs to place by the wood stove. Raph had put Casey down on the mattress while April gathered a few blankets to put over him and Mikey ran back upstairs to get some pillows. Now they were all just seated in various places around the livingroom, quietly discussing their current thoughts, concerns, and questions about what had just happened.

Donatello ran a hand over his face and leaned back into the couch. "I just don't understand it. They abduct Casey for almost four days, then just drop him off in the woods where they've gotta know we'll be looking for him? But why" he shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe they wanted us to find him." Mikey offered with a slight shrug as he shifted in the beanbag chair on the floor.

Leo leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why though"

Raphael growled angrily. "An' what the hell did they do to 'im! What's with the crummy stitchwork an' all those scars? I mean, were they operatin' on Case" his fists clenched tightly and he resisted the urge to take out his sais and just start cutting stuff up.

"I'm just glad he's back" April whispered, gazing off sadly as she rose from the couch and gingerly walked over to where Casey was laying. His face was blank as she watched him curl on his side, still unconscious, but appearing more to be sleeping. April lightly touched his hand, her fingertips gently brushing the rope burn marks on his wrists.

Bleary eyes eventually opened up wearily, blinking back the foggyness to clear his vision. Casey slowly pushed himself to a sitting position and took in his surroundings. All he remembered was the hazy vision of a dark cell, and being electrocuted on a few occasions. Electroshock therapy... His mind responded slowly as he blinked. He could remember being imprisoned, the soldiers, and the man called "Sarge" that was always there to transport him from one place to another, always pulling a black hood over his head, always torturing him. Casey shuddered at the memory, but he couldn't figure out much else. Details were cloudy and he couldn't help but feel as though something was stolen from him.

"Casey" the voice was warm, concerned, and he recognized it easily with shock. "Oh God, Casey" April cried out teary-eyed, rushing over to the mattress he was laying on by the wood stove. She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder.

He stiffened as soon as her arms enveloped him. Everything before the moment of his capture was clear, and he thought she was dead. He'd been told she was dead. But who told him? That's right, it was Sarge. Why did he believe him? How could he believe that bastard after what he'd done"A-April" Casey choked out, his eyes stinging with tears. He returned the embrace and held her tightly, breathing her in. "The - they told me you.. you were dead.."

Letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks, April sniffled, drawing back a little so that she was gazing into Casey's watery blue eyes. "No, I'm right here Casey, I'm right here" she gently stroked the side of his face with her hand, her voice wavering as she spoke. "I was so worried about you... We all were. I - I missed you so much"

Casey's heart ached at the sound of her voice, the voice that he'd been missing to hear, that he never thought he'd hear again. He wanted to take all her pain away right then, to not let her suffer any longer from what she'd been through, not knowing what had happened to him. In the next moment, Casey impuslively drew a hand to the back of April's neck, pulling her toward him gently until their lips met for a long-awaited kiss.

April was lost in the comforting kiss for a blissful moment before she slowly leaned back. Her soft green eyes were locked with Casey's before they shifted, scanning over his chest and arms where the visible stitchmarks damaged his skin. Brows furrowing, April lightly traced her fingers along a faint scar line. "Do these hurt"

Blinking, Casey followed her eyes to the marks all over him. He smiled crookedly. "It ain't so bad." His memory was intact, and he recalled everything except what was done to him. In that area things got muddled up. He just remembered waking up a few times on the floor or a ratty old mattress, then finding more marks and stitchwork on his body. Casey's jaw and muscles ached, but he wasn't going to tell April that. Somehow he knew that was an after-effect from the electroshock. Did they do that to make him forget? But why did they let him go"How'd I get here"

April frowned a little, brushing her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand. "We found you in the woods."

"Hey, we heard" Leonardo trailed off as he came down the stairs with his brothers. He stopped when he saw that Casey was awake, April sitting on the corner of the mattress beside him.

"Case" Raphael exclaimed heartily as he strode toward them with a pleased grin on his face. "How ya doin' man"

Furrowing his brows, Casey shot a confused look toward Raphael and cocked his head to the side. "Who - who are you"

Raph's face suddenly slackened with sadness.

Mikey ran over beside his brother, staring wide-eyed. "You don't remember us" he exclaimed with shock.

Raphael soon detected the faint mischievous smirk on his pal's face. He let out a bark of laughter and shook his head. "You bonehead, that's not funny." he moved closer to Casey and April, giving his usual brawling partner a friendly pat on the shoulder. "It's good ta have ya back Case."

He nodded, sending a crooked smile in the direction of Mikey, Leo, and Don. "Yeh, it's good ta see all you guys again."

Donatello would have preferred to run some tests and question Casey about what had happened, but he knew that probably wasn't a real good idea after all the guy had been through. He refrained from questioning and just gave a friendly smile.

"So, anybody hungry" Leonardo asked, trying to lighten the mood since it wasn't a sad occasion any longer.

"Me! Me" Michelangelo sang with a big goofy grin as he leapt into the air.

Seeing that it appeared as though April and Casey could use some alone time, Raphael started to usher all his brothers toward the kitchen. "C'mon guys, lets all get dinner ready."

"Raphie-boy, I've had your cooking, maybe it's a good idea if you just make some tea or somethin'." Mikey jeered with a laugh.

"Ah, shaddap" Raph teased, elbowing his brother and shoving him into the door before they entered the kitchen.

"Hey"

April listened to the brothers' bickering as they walked into the other room, thankful for the oncoming quiet. Her focus soon switched back over to Casey, who shifted to a more comfortable sitting position.

"I never wanna lose you again April" he said suddenly, with a loving gentleness that she had never heard in his voice before.

She smiled warmheartedly. "Me neither" she whispered, this time being the one to provoke the kiss. April held him tightly, enjoying the moment, even though she had a sinking feeling in her gut that this wasn't the end of their troubles.

- The End -

Note: I know you all probably hate me, but I decided not to reveal what the soldiers really did to Casey. But DON'T WORRY! I'll be doing another sequel, which will answer that nagging question, and will DEFINETLY have more April/Casey-ness, 'cuz I realize not much has happened between them, relationship-wise, yet. Sorry! Don't skewer me with anythin'! x-0; Heh, heh. I dunno when the third part of this series (I guess it's a series now...) will be out, but look for it in the future! And PLEASE REVIEW!