Okay, maybe I should write a poem called 'If I Owned the Turtles'. Maybe that can be my next oneshot.


The Broken Bubble: Part Two

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

April stared at the green line that was counting Don's heartbeats. It was strange to hear four sets of repeating sound, all beating at different times, different strengths, different speeds.

She was finding herself feeling increasingly anxious. Stuff like this just didn't happen. How could four perfectly healthy boys just end up unconscious, with no possible explanation as to why? The worry was starting to consume her in a series of endless 'what-ifs' - what if they had contracted some alien illness? What if they were going to progress to a vegetative state? What if they never woke up?

And soon the worry was laced with anger. Whoever did this is going to be facing off with "April the Harpy from Hell" before long


Knife watched as Don walked around in a circle, occasionally muttering to himself or rubbing his forehead. Finally he stopped and faced the boy, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on top of them. 'Okay. I think I've got the whole thing straight. You, Reaper, and the old man, Ophidian, are all different facets of Leo's personality, right? When the Sanguine proteins were introduced into Leo's genes, you became more independent and were given certain powers. But, because Reaper is basically Leo's dark side, he rebelled against control.'

Don began to pace again. 'Because of the supernatural nature of your semi-independence, Reaper's rebellion did not manifest as dissociative identity syndrome, but rather his attempts to undermine Leo's fragile psyche cause symptoms resembling paranoid schizophrenia. How did I go?'

'You are correct in all your cogitations.'

'And I'm guessing that Reaper has been the one tormenting us all this time.'

'Also correct.'

'O-kay. We have to find the others and see if they picked up any weaknesses.'


BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

Casey's hand itched, wanting to smash the monitor into a thousand pieces. 'C'mon, Raph. Who'm I gonna talk to if you never wake up, huh? Who's gonna help me bust heads every night. Who's gonna listen if it's been a rough week? You gotta snap out of it…'

He sighed despondently. 'You're the toughest, strongest, stubbornest turtle I know, buddy. You can get through this.'


Raph cautiously peeked around the corner. The hall was empty. He retreated several feet to where his baby brother sat propped up against the wall. 'We're clear, Mike. Let's get moving.'

'… 'K… 'kay, Raphie…'

The red-masked turtle carefully gathered the younger into his arms, eliciting a small whimper as Mikey's wounded ankle scraped against the ground. 'I know it hurts, buddy, but stay with me, okay? I will get ya outta here, I promise.'

'I… k-know you will… Fearless… L-leader…'

Raph smiled without quite knowing why.

He walked slowly down the corridor, trying not to jar his brother too much, then rounded another corner and stopped short as he came face to face with Don.


BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

'Mikey's heartbeat is a little weak,' said April, midway through her now-regular vitals check. 'Not sure what that's about yet.'

She sat down in a chair, letting the sob caught in her throat rise to the surface. 'I'm stumped, Casey. I don't know what to do. I can't find out why they're like this. I feel so useless!' Shouting the last sentence, she buried her face in her hands. Casey stood and walked over to where she sat, pulling her close and stroking her hair. 'We'll figure it out, babe. The guys are strong, they can hold on until we find the answer.'

'But what if they never wake up? Leo's so weak already…'

'Apes – you know that Leo's in a coma at least once a month. He's been through worse.'

'I know, but… we almost lost him last week, then Don the day before, and before that they were missing for two weeks… I don't want to lose any of them…'

Casey was silent.

Life without the turtles was not something they wanted to think about.


Raph nearly dropped Mikey in shock. 'Donnie!'

'Raph! Thank heavens!' The genius paused and stepped back. 'What happened to you? You've got second and third-degree burns all over!'

'I fell through a lava pit, okay?'

Mikey opened his eyes at Raph's words and gaped at his two brothers, one badly injured, the other covered in circuitry. 'But – what – how…?'

'Still trying to figure it out myself, Mike,' replied the red-masked turtle drily. 'You may have noticed that none of this makes sense.'

'That's because it's not real,' said Don, a serious expression settling onto his green-skinned face. 'We're inside a mind-trap, much like the simulations Bishop used. Only these are being created by someone much more unstable – and much more dangerous.'

'Who?'

'Reaper,' said another voice from behind the genius.

Knife stepped out into the light.

Raph and Mikey's jaws dropped.

Don took a deep breath and began to explain.


BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…


'So, you're saying that Leo's doing all this?'

'Well – yes and no. Part of Leo is. The part that thrives on anger, doubt, grief, and fear.'

'No wonder it got so strong.'

'Mm.'

'Uh, Don? You don't look so good.'

'It's an interesting experience being empathically bonded to someone with paranormal-assisted paranoid schizophrenia, let me tell you.'

'I don't even know what that means, but okay…'


BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…


'What are we gonna do?'

'We have to find Blue, Mikey – the dominant personality. He's the Leo we know.'

'So who are these others then, if Blue's the one we know?'

'I don't know, Raph. Leo himself might be able to tell us. But we have to get him back first.'


BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-


'Knife, you'll help us find him, won't you?'

Silence.

'Knife?'

A choking gasp, then the sound of a small body hitting the floor.

'Crap – Don, he's out cold!'

A cry of pain. 'Don?'

'Something's – happening – to Leo…'


BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…

'LEO!'


Oh, man, I'm killing him again… hang on, someone's at the door.

(looks outside, then slams door shut) Oh, frell!

Don: OPEN THE DOOR, SARGE, OR YOUR DEATH WILL BE SLOWER THAN I PLANNED!

I'd rather not die at all, Don-san! (runs off chased by vengeful purple-masked turtle) HELP!