Hello everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and Halloween! XD
Here is a little bit of twisted darkness for all of you to enjoy!
A giant thank you to Amoraphoenix for beta reading this fic for me! XD
Happy reading!
Altered Realities
Leonardo glanced over his shoulder as he ran down the hallway. No one was in pursuit, but neither were Michelangelo or Raphael.
His two younger siblings had fallen behind, keeping Bishop's commandos occupied while he scoured the enemy human's base for his younger genius brother.
Donatello had decided he wanted to go for a scavenging foray to the junkyard one night because he needed some parts to finish the new shell cycle he was working on.
Leonardo had accompanied his younger brother to make sure he didn't get into trouble or get so focused in his search for 'treasure' that he completely and lost track of time; an occurrence that had happened more than once, forcing their amethyst- masked brother to seek cover for a good portion of the day as the workers arrived to the junkyard to attend to their daily jobs.
He hadn't been expecting trouble, but had been alert for it nonetheless. They had too many enemies to ever completely let their guard down and that night, Bishop had taken the opportunity to ambush him and his brother.
Fighting valiantly against the dark-clad commandos that at times threatened to overwhelm them, they found themselves pushing the human tide back. Feeling the brief thrill of what would be another small victory against those who would do them harm, things had suddenly gone horribly wrong.
Bishop's orders were that they were to be taken alive. The ammunition the commandos were using was meant to stun, not kill, but someone had gotten too nervous and frightened, running to one of their vehicles and firing a high powered canon of some sort that had been mounted to the roof of the vehicle.
The resulting blast had thrown Leonardo and Donatello to the ground as well as a multitude of commandos.
Ears ringing, the stench of burning rubber and metal invaded his nostrils. Smoke filled his lungs, a coughing seizing him as his body attempted to clear his lungs and breathe in fresh oxygen. Tears running down his cheeks from the sting of the grey smoke that clouded his vision, he called out his brother's name, frantically searching for his younger brother amidst the chaos around him.
Finally spotting him, Donatello lay a few feet away, sprawled upon the ground, unmoving. Attempting to scramble to his feet as the moans and groans of the recovering commando's filled his still less than recovered hearing, he attained his footing.
Taking one shuffling step forward, there was an ominous grating, screeching sound that came from over his shoulder.
Looking back he saw a wall of crushed cars begin to tip ominously towards him. He tried to run, to avoid being crushed by the heavy metal that tumbled towards him, but he wasn't able to move fast enough.
The last thing he was aware of before darkness rose up to claim him was Donatello screaming his name over and over again.
He wasn't sure how long he remained beneath the pile of twisted metal, drifting in and out of consciousness, but the next thing he knew he was being pulled from the wreckage by Raphael and Michelangelo.
When the tower of cars had fallen atop of him, they had done so in a way that had created a small space where he had been protected against the brutal, crushing force of tons of metal crashing to the ground above his head.
Besides a laceration to the back of his skull, no doubt obtained by the falling debris, as well as a few bumps, bruises and cuts that needed stitches, Leonardo found himself to have escaped relatively unscathed.
It was not until his two younger brothers had pulled him from the wreckage that surrounded him that they realized that Donatello was missing.
The only evidence that their genius brother had even been at the junkyard was his discarded bo.
His brothers had feared that Donatello too had been caught beneath the tidal wave of rolling metal that had engulfed Leonardo; his bo staff having been dropped in his attempt to either rescue Leonardo or leap out of the way.
Calling out Donatello's name they had desperately searched, trying to move giant heaps of crushed, twisted and mangled car remains with their bare hands hoping that Donatello had managed to escape –as Leonardo had- relatively unscathed.
But as the hours passed by and the night began to lighten into day, Leonardo's eventual recollection of their relative position when the tower of cars had fallen, indicated that Donatello had not been buried, but had been captured by Bishop.
Leonardo's fears were only confirmed when Michelangelo found Donatello's broken shell cell a few yards away from where they had been searching. Growling in frustration, Leonardo realized that the former government agent had half a day's head start on them, meaning Donatello could be anywhere.
Over the next few days they had been exhaustive in their search for their kidnapped brother. No alley had been left unchecked; no warehouse unsearched, no thug left unmolested for the tiniest scrap of information, but it was as if Bishop had disappeared into thin air.
Coming up with nothing, they had no choice but to spend time trying to figure out how to use all of Donatello's high-tech equipment. Their amethyst wearing brother was the one who was normally in charge of scanning satellite images, radio frequencies and generally tracking down whatever or whoever they needed to find.
But now that Donatello was the one who needed to be found, they discovered that they did not know the first place to start or even how to operate most of the electronic devices that were scattered throughout the lab.
Frantically they learned and searched, seeking out any sign or clue as to where Bishop's new base of operations was and time and time again they found nothing.
There had been a few times they managed to get a hit on Bishop's possible whereabouts through certain underground sources, radio chatter or unusual spikes in the city's electric grid, but time and time again their lead would turn out to be a dead end or worse, correct but Bishop had already moved on, leaving them another cold trail to attempt to follow.
Weeks turned into months which slowly turned into years. There were times when they had given their brother up for dead. They had felt like Donatello would have wanted them to just lives their lives, but even in their darkest, bleakest hour, they clung to the ephemeral hope that their brother was still alive, waiting for them to find him and they found that they couldn't give up; that they could NEVER lose hope or stop looking, even if in the end, it was only to give Donatello's remains a proper burial.
Finally, two and a half years after their brother had been lost to them, Leonardo happened to pick up some radio chatter indicating that there was a warehouse that was operating out by the docks that was being frequented by the denizens of the criminal underworld who were buying and distributing advanced biomechanical weaponry.
After raiding the warehouse they were able to obtain information that had led them to a high security, privately owned research facility.
Having run reconnaissance, they discovered the unmistakable figures of Bishop's commandos guarding the sprawling one storey building that was located outside of the city in an open area free of any vegetation larger than a small shrub.
Undeterred and under the cover of darkness unlit by the moon, Leonardo and his two younger brothers had quickly and silently taken out many of the guards that were patrolling on foot, avoiding the ones in military vehicles and slipping through a side door that had been propped open to allow re-entry to a commando who had been taking a late-night smoke break.
Moving quietly through the halls, they began the daunting task of locating their captive brother.
If Leonardo was honest with himself, he knew the chances of finding Donatello alive were very low. Even if Donatello was still alive, they had no idea what had been done to him, both physically and mentally, and it was more than possible that the Donatello that they knew and loved had been lost to them forever.
Trying not to think such grim, hopeless thoughts, he instead concentrated on locating Donatello; and if not his brother, then Bishop would be a good substitute. From the former government agent Leonardo would be able to find out where Donatello was, and if he was no longer alive, exact the revenge that honour demanded to be enacted upon the loathsome creature who had brutally and cruelly stolen their brother's life.
Checking each room as he ran down a hallway that seemed to stretch out forever in front of him, he stumbled upon what looked to be some kind of laboratory.
Beakers, flasks and bubbling, multi-coloured liquids that dipped and swirled through glass tubes caught his attention, but only for a moment. His gaze turned to a wall of specimens that had been preserved in jars and placed upon shelves like a macabre display case filled with gruesome trophies.
Stepping towards the shelves, he forced his eyes to carefully look at each jar, inspecting the contents and reading the typed labels, hoping that none contained any of his brother's remains.
Finding no indication of any of this brother's body parts being put on display he left the room to continue his search.
He found a multitude of offices, closets and laboratories, but it wasn't until he stumbled upon what looked to be an operating room that Leonardo felt his blood run cold. Sterile white walls a stainless steel table complete with leather cuffs and enough surgical equipment to make even Donatello envious spread out before him.
Stomach turning at the imagined atrocities that had been committed in the name of the megalomaniac's quest for scientific answers, Leonardo continued what felt like a fruitless search, encountering no opposition, but also no sign of his missing brother.
Leaving the room, an elevator at the end of the hall caught his attention. Again looking over his shoulder, he spared a moment's thought for his two younger brothers who had yet to catch up with him.
Making the decision to go on ahead, he ran to the elevator, the doors sliding open at the touch of the button located on the panel to his left.
Knowing that the building was only one storey, he knew that the elevator had to go down to what was no doubt some sort of secret laboratory buried in the basement.
Hitting the only button that was available to him, the doors slid closed and he felt the elevator smoothly sink into the earth. A moment later, the machine gave a slight jerk as it came to a stop, the double doors sliding open.
Having not encountered Bishop yet, Leonardo wondered if the madman was located on this level, hiding and waiting to ambush him.
Being separated from his brothers provided Bishop with the perfect opportunity to capture him, and yet, stepping out into the corridor, he found no one waiting for him.
A sick feeling began to pool in his gut as the skin on his arms prickled with goose bumps, his muscles tightened in anticipation of battle and adrenalin began pumping fiercely through his veins.
Turning a corner, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears that it now drowned out the siren that suddenly began to sound, he spotted a metal door at the end of the hallway.
Dashing down the corridor, he skidded to a halt before he slammed into the oddly lacquered white surface of the wall in front of him.
Studying the wall, he could see that there was a faint seam, indicating that there was a door in front of him.
Reaching out, he placed his hands upon the hidden door that had no handle and gave no indication as to how the door was opened. Hands sliding across the smooth, glossy surface he looked for any hidden panels or keys, but found nothing.
Turning, he scanned the hallway looking for any other doors that may lead to a control room of some sort to allow entry past what had to be an electronically controlled door.
Spotting a camera in the top corner of the ceiling, he knew he was being watched. "Let him go, Bishop!" he demanded as he looked straight at the camera.
To his surprise, there was the sound of something moving from behind him. Slowly turning around, he watched in trepidation as a handle slid out from the edge of the door, the seam having been hidden in plain sight by the detailing along the edges of the door.
Staring at the handle in suspicion, he cast a glance over his shoulder at the camera, its little blinking red light indicating that he was still being observed.
Speculating on the observer behind the camera, he pondered upon the likelihood of it being one of his brothers before quickly discarding the idea. The timing of the door felt too premeditated and gleefully anticipatory. Steeling himself for whatever was behind the door, he unsheathed his katana blade and reached out, his hand grasping the cold metal before he tugged the door open.
Red suddenly suffused his vision as the loud wail of another shrill siren pierced his ears, causing him to momentarily clutch at his head before he recovered himself and darted through the door.
The lights had gone out, the empty hallway in front of him lit only by the flashing of the red alarm lights.
The lack of confrontation besides the infernal blaring of the alarm and the flashing of the lights were starting to put him on edge.
Knowing that time was a finite thing, he ran to the end of the corridor, turning a corner and encountering a set of stone steps that appeared to lead down to a sub-basement.
Running down the steps his intuition was screaming at him that Donatello was very close and finally within reach.
It almost seemed unreal that after searching for so long, that their captured brother could be found and still be brought home.
At the bottom of the stairs was another door, this one solid reinforced steel. There was no window to let any sort of light in, only a small, narrow trap door at the very bottom about an inch high the flap opening inwards as if to allow something small and flat to be placed inside without having to open the door.
Sheathing his katana blade, he called out Donatello's name as he slid back the iron bar that had locked the door from the outside. Throwing the door open he took a step inside the stone room which was a ten by ten foot square with no lighting and bare of anything but a small drain in the center of the floor.
Gaze scanning the cell, he caught sight of a figure huddled in the corner furthest away from the door. Through the dim, hazy red light he could distinguish the curve of a carapace and the line of a familiar three fingered hand grasped around his legs which had been pulled up to his plastron.
"Donny!" he cried out in relief which quickly turned to concern when his brother did not move or acknowledge his presence.
Quickly making his way to his brother, he fell to his knees, reaching out and grasping his unmoving brother by the shoulders and shaking him.
Slowly, Donatello lifted his head, revealing his face. He had been stripped of his amethyst mask as well as his knee and elbow pads. Scanning his brother's features he noticed that Donatello's skin was tinged a sickly grey-green, his cheeks sunken and gaunt with dark smudges smeared beneath his bloodshot eyes.
Donatello's gaze lifted and met his own and his brother's lips pull away from his teeth as a feral growl rumbled lowly in his chest.
Belying his gaunt and weakened appearance, Donatello leapt to his feet with astonishing speed, before launching himself at Leonardo.
Catching his brother by the shoulders, they both fell to the ground, Leonardo landing hard on his carapace as he fought off Donatello's snapping teeth and clawing fingers.
Kicking his younger brother off of him, he rolled to his feet as they circled each other.
Donatello hunched over, his hands contracted into claws, teeth bared menacingly, Leonardo gazed at his growling, feral, bestial brother, noting the bloodthirsty light in his eyes.
"Donatello!" he tried again, hoping for something: some small spark of recognition, a sign which indicated that there was still a tiny piece of Donatello that existed within the madness that seemed to have consumed him entirely.
But Donatello only charged again, his intent murderous, his mind, that limitless organ that had contained so much knowledge and brilliance that it had time and time again amazed them all, had been cruelly stripped away.
There was nothing left of his brother save for a violent creature filled with nothing but vicious rage and animalistic urges.
Alarms still blaring and beating an almost painful rhythm in his head, and the red light flooding the cell only to vanish momentarily before reappearing again, Leonardo made a decision.
"It's going to be okay, Donny. I'm going to save you," he promised calmly as Donatello charged him.
Catching the full impact of his brother's attack, Leonardo stared at his younger brother for a moment. "It will all be over soon," he whispered and found that the tanto blade he had pulled from his belt went through Donatello's plastron with more ease than he would have expected.
Eyes widening in surprise, Donatello gazed at Leonardo as pain and surprise blossomed within those dark orbs.
Slowly lowering his dying brother gently to the cold stone floor, he looked down at his sibling with regret.
Leonardo didn't know what kind of hell Donatello had been put through, his mind -his greatest strength and achievement- having been taken from him, broken beyond any sort of repair, Leonardo knew that his brother would not have wanted to live as the creature he had become.
"L-Leo?" his brother's lucid voice whispered between parted lips stained red with blood.
He stared down at his brother who gazed back at him, eyes completely sane and full of recognition. Leonardo gently cupped his brother's cheek. "It's okay, Donny," he whispered softly. "It's all going to be okay, I promise."
"Leo…" his name trailed off as Donatello gave a shuddering gasp of pain. "Hurts," he whimpered as blood bubbled from between his lips.
"I know," Leonardo replied clutching his brother closer. "It's almost over, the pain will be gone soon," he soothed softly into Donatello's ear as he took the handle of the tanto blade in his hands and twisted it roughly.
His brother arched in agony, muscles stiffening as Leonardo continued to hold Donatello's writhing body, wide, dark eyes gazing at him with horror and betrayal.
Leonardo softly offered gentle, comforting words until Donatello finally sagged within his grip and went limp.
"See, I told you that the pain would go away. You don't hurt anymore, everything is as I promised, you're okay now," Leonardo whispered as he continued to hold Donatello within his arms repeating his words over and over again.
Finally lowering his dead brother's corpse to the ground, he pulled the tanto blade from his brother's chest, wiping the blood on his kneepad before slipping it back into his belt, knowing that he had killed his own flesh and blood because it had been the right thing to do…
"The subject seems to be exhibiting actions whereby the lines between being necessarily merciful and cruelly apathetic have become skewed," the man with the white trench coat and clipboard observed.
Bishop smiled maliciously. "That is very much the point, Dr. Edwards," he purred, pleased with the results of his ongoing experiment. "Let's reset the experiment, but let's make our robotic captive the orange masked one, and make him a little less feral with quicker recognition of his supposed 'brother.' And while we are at it, let's attempt this next trial run without the red flashing lights and alarms as the trigger for his dissociative state."
"And if we are unable to create the same altered state within him without the sensor triggers?" Dr. Edwards asked.
"It doesn't matter. I am sure that given enough time, we shall be able remove the need for such things. And if not, given the nature of their existence, I have no doubt a situation that will trigger his altered state will arise," he observed smugly. "It has only taken six months to twist his mind enough that he will willingly kill his brother rather than attempt to help him and feeling no guilt about making a hasty, snap decision that did not need to be made and assuaging his guilt with the belief that his actions were justified." Watching Leonardo as he stood wiping the fake blood of his supposed brother off of his knife, Bishop mused, "I am curious how much longer I will have to have him in our tender care before I can get the noble and honourable Leonardo to be able to justify to himself the cold-blooded murder of his entire family."
"Do you think they are going to find this place and rescue him?" Dr. Edwards asked with concern.
"I am counting on it," Bishop answered with a malevolent grin.