Trapped Within

{Chapter 25}

POV Centi:

I cleared my throat as I looked down at the soot-covered turtle in front of me, "He isn't. Like I said to you months ago, your brother left. He's gone-", the kid smashed his hand against the wall, as he continued to glare at me, pointing his finger towards me, pressing it firmly against my chest, "I'M NOT STUPID! MIKEY IS IN THAT LAB WITH YOU! FIVE MONTHS AGO HE WAS TURNED INTO- INTO- AH! YOU CAN NOT PERSUADE ME ANY LONGER, I HAVE WATCHED THE FOOTAGE THOUSANDS OF TIMES! LOOKED FROM EVERY SINGLE ANGLE TO SEE WHERE HE WAS TAKEN...", his arm dropped down to his side, his breath was heavy, he was tired, I was tired, "So don't tell me that bullshit anymore...I know my brothers in that fucking room and you are going to take me to him NOW!!!", the boy was like all the men, and even some women, short-tempered and hot head, but this was not just a short temper, no... this was months, almost years of anguish and frustrated spilling over, but I knew he was mad at me, I knew but I could tell he was also mad at himself.

Reaching down towards the ground, I picked up the plastic bag, still holding Pequenito's food in my other hand, but when I looked at the boy I knew the answer, and I knew he wouldn't like it, "No"

"You b-", I held my hand up, placing the bag in the boy's arms, he was angry, but also confused, staring down at the bag he looked up towards me, his eyes held a subtle glare, "No, because that is not possible, I will tell you why if you tell me, why you have been staying here-", he looked shocked, undoubtedly ashamed that I noticed him, "I've been seeing your shadow follow me whenever I leave the lab, for weeks I thought it was a droid, and maybe even Flaco, but they never approached-", I turned around as I walked back, he walked fast to catch up with me, but he didn't walk by my side, instead he walked a few feet behind me, "- it's been here for some time, droids whenever they see me and hear my footsteps, they call out my number, demanding as to why I'm wondering around, so I knew it was someone foreign", he was silent, his once quiet feet, tapped louder than before.

"When I got back to my old home that night, my family was there waiting for me, instead of being...proud, they berated me, telling me that I was in the wrong for finding more information on Mikey's whereabouts, and my...father-", the way he said it, like to him it felt wrong, to him it felt odd to say, "-told me that...since Mikey hasn't at all tried to tell us where he was, then there is no point in searching for someone that doesn't even want to be saved, so...I...", I stopped and looked down at the turtle, his eyes never meeting mine, instead he stared down at the ground, "I told them that if I ever found him, I would never bring him back to a family like that, and left...and as you can tell...I don't really have anywhere else to stay so, I've been staying here...", he slowed down as I continued our trip, walking down the long halls, he noticed I never stopped, so he ran for me, 'Well he gave me the answer to my question, might as well answer his'.

"Like I said earlier you can't see Peque-... Mikey-", it felt odd saying his name, but I needed to, I needed this kid to understand, not me but his own brother, "...he doesn't want to see anyone, he's been hiding inside the nursery for five months, he comes out a few times, but it's rare, only coming out when he needs to throw something out, or go to the bathroom, and even that is rare, he doesn't trust anyone, not even me. And I know I'm most likely nothing special to him, but his cellmate was close to him, he didn't even let him in there...", we finally arrived, slowly I entered the code, and waited as the doors slid open, the air pressure releasing. "Let me talk to him, maybe I can say something...".

'Was it a good idea, it worries me, what would Pequenito do, would he run, leave with the two, heck maybe four turtles with him...', making our way up the stairs, I walked up the inner door, and entered the code again, pushing the door open, I stopped the kid, "Wait here...", whispering quietly, barely loud enough for the boy to hear, I walked towards the nursery and knocked on the door, my hand resting on the door handle, ready for him to unlock it.