A/N: Thanks so much for all the feedback, my dears! Hope you like this one!
Interlude: Oniisan
He has to be kidding. "You've got to be kidding."
Raphael leans his shell back against the stone wall. His face settles into the smuggest of grins as he passes over one ankle on top of the other. The chain rattles in an efficient and clear disagreement. As predicted, Raphael doesn't care.
"Nope, this is the real thing, pal," he drawls the words so cockily, as if he's some sort of knight in shining armor or something. Of course, he's undoubtedly not chained to a wall inside Master's inescapable fortress. And no, he doesn't have twenty-six stitches in his shoulder and fourteen in his back.
Onii quickly skims the wound. It's a surprise the stitches are still in place. But with this patient, he never knows how long they'll remain that way. Onii can simply hope.
"Right," he replies, "and do you mind sharing how are you going to break free, fight off Master's army of men and mutants on your own, and escape with two turtles that–mind you–cannot even win a thumb fight?"
Raphael's expression falters a bit. He picks at the skin right above his collarbone. "Uh... Okay, I admit it. It's gonna be hard."
"Raphael." He raises a firm hand in front of him. "Hard is an understatement. This is more along the lines of impossible."
"You're a true optimist aren't you, pal?" He quirks a brow behind his red mask.
"I'm just stating the facts."
"Your facts suck," Raphael snaps back, a delusional smile plastered on his stuck-up face. "Look, my bro Leo is probably looking for us like nuts as we speak."
"He's looking for you, not us, and even then, I don't see him showing up anytime soon!" Onii counters. Is there any common sense in that foolish head of his?
"And how would you know?" Raphael rolls his eyes, his anger rising in defense.
From his sitting position, Onii scoots away only an inch. His hands get prepared to cover himself in case of any unforeseen attack. He doesn't need any more bruises this week.
Raphael notices this and thrusts out his irritation in a deep breath. "Listen, pal, you don't know Fearless, like I do. Seriously, he goes nuts every time I go out, even if it's for pizza. He's brutal and a pain in the shell. That means he needs to find me, to lecture me."
Onii stares at him with his mouth slightly ajar. It's like he's talking to the walls or worse, Stockman. He's not going to listen unless given solid confirmation of his lunacy. Oniisan leans to grab his crutch and forces himself up. He needs to get this meathead to see reason, somehow. He offers a hand to Raphael. "Can you stand?"
"Faster than you. That's for sure." Raph smirks and truly does stand quicker than him, but Onii knows better. There's dizziness all over that face as he wobbles on his feet.
Onii sighs and grabs Raphael's arm to bring it over his shoulders. A few steps later they stand before the tiny round window of the prison. The chain on Raphael's anklet stops them a few feet away from it, but not too far as to prevent an adequate view. The window is too high for Raphael, forcing him on his toes to get a peek of the world outside. But the expected result is the same. All evidence of smugness fades in a matter of seconds.
Raphael has gone so quiet it's eerie. Onii can make out his own heart pound audibly, almost as if it's hurting. He glances away from the display and diverts his muddy eyes to the ground, where they belong.
"This is the closest we've ever been to New York," Onii says.
Raphael takes his arm off him and moves toward the window. He can hardly take one step before the chain protests. He doesn't even notice.
"...No," he utters as he takes in the absurdity of his not so flawless escape tactic. "What the heck?" He gestures towards Onii in a hostile motion and indicates at the amount of water before them. New York's skyline is scarcely discernible with the amount of fog today. "We're supposed to be in Shredder's lair!"
"And we are," Onii says with a discreet nod, "it's just not the one inside the city."
Raphael is at a loss for words. His fists shake at his sides. "No!" he growls. "This is not how it's supposed to be! Leo doesn't even know about this place! Where–where the heck are we?" he demands and Onii backs off, too familiar with Raphael's hot temper. Oto's forehead still carries the outcomes of it.
"O-on an island, I think," he replies, glancing at Raphael like he's an unstable bomb about to blow at any minute. "I-I'm not sure, I've never—we're not allowed outdoors." He finishes and his eyes rest fondly on the window. He drops his gaze. It's better not to think about something that can never be. And yet, and yet he can't help but hope—wish—that perhaps, maybe one day they'll let them go out the fortress. If only for a little while.
He swallows thickly and shakes his head. He shouldn't have shown the stupid window to Raphael.
Laughter interrupts his thoughts. Onii turns to see a deluded grin rising on Raphael's face. He is more than a little scared.
"It all makes sense, now," he beams and grabs Onii's shoulders. "Don't you see it, pal?"
Onii shakes his head. "What I'm seeing is your fever coming back. I think you need to lay down."
He lets go, fierce now. "I don't need shell! This is perfect!"
"Yeah, I'm going to leave now," he begins but Raphael pushes him to the ground.
"No! You sit down and listen!" He ignores Onii's grunt as his sore leg protests in pain and sits down in front of him. "It all makes sense now, see? Why Shredder's gone? Xever and Tiger Claw too! No wonder he doesn't come here every day! They can't stay here all the time! It's too far away from the city! Now, Shredhead's one controlling nutcase, he needs to be close to his effing empire to rule it all! Oh, the paranoid bastard!" He laughs wildly.
"There's still guards," Onii informs him. "And you're wrong, not all of them are gone. Master Xever is here, so are Master Tiger Claw and Doctor Stockman. The only reason they haven't paid you a visit is because Master hasn't ordered them to."
Raphael scoffs. "Yeah, like 'Doctor' Stockman can harm a fly."
Heat rises to Onii's cheeks, flustered. Is he even listening?
"He has his M.O.U.S.E.R.S acting as guards as well," Onii tells him and this time Raphael frowns in heavy thought.
"Okay," he agrees to himself. Onii almost sighs in relief. The idiot finally understands how ridiculous this idea is. "Okay, this is good." He looks back at Onii with eagerness. "You have intel!"
"I have nothing!" Onii panics drawing back. "This isn't going to work, Raphael."
"Yes, it is, pal! Okay, does Shredder come in specific days? Does he have some sort of schedule or something?"
Master? Onii swallows. His hands threaten to shake but he manages to restrain them before it becomes too noticeable. His eyes move back and forth around the cell almost expecting Master to be prowling in the dark. "H-he- he used to... I mean, not since you got here."
Raphael nods. "Yeah, I guess that would make sense, I am pretty life changing." He laughs at his own jest. "But what about before?"
Onii is really uncomfortable now. He can't help but look over his shoulder. It wouldn't be the first time someone had baited him to talk about Master behind his back. Unconsciously, he shuts his eyes. A shiver makes its way up his spine. He still has the scars of that calamity. No. He can't afford to think of Otosan now. Besides, this is different. Raphael isn't like that. He wouldn't do that, would he? This... this couldn't be a test, could it? A... a game? Raphael was a prisoner... right? He – he wasn't one of them, right? No. No. That's stupid. They never hurt each other, they only hurt Onii and Oto.
That is not true. Sometimes, in their impatience, they did hit Baxter Stockman.
Every human and mutant under Master's employ would wholeheartedly accept any circumstances if Shredder commanded them.
Oh no. What if... what if it's all a trick? After all, Master has questioned his intentions before. You can't trust monsters. His frame shivers a bit before attempting to look up, but making sure he's not gazing directly into his superior's eyes. Please don't be one of them. "S-sir, I-I can't."
The grin falls off Raphael's face. It's followed with a frown. "What do you mean you can't?"
"It's-it's not right, sir," he adds and his voice falls back into a familiar yet safe whisper.
Raphael is not delighted with his response. His hands tighten dangerously at his sides, obvious rage scowling his mouth.
And for the fraction of a second, Onii prepares himself for a blow. He's provided an unwelcome reply. After something like that, pain usually follows. But Raphael doesn't hurt him. Yet his remark is far from pleased.
"Sir?" Raphael's snout wrinkles into a sneer, as if he's just eaten something vile, rotten. "Who the heck do you think you're talking to, pal?" But his tone is not patronizing or even hostile. He seems truly worried, even disturbed. Either he's an extremely talented actor or...
He's not one of them. Onii breathes out in relief. "I—sorry, Raphael," he responds quickly feeling a little silly now. He turns his flushed face to the side, averting eye contact. "I—I think I just spaced out."
Thankfully, Raphael doesn't reflect on the matter. But no amount of tangible pity and understanding is going to stop him from ranting again a second later.
"You know, I don't get it," he says. To his credit, his voice breaks out small in volume, though that instantly changes. Evident accusation drips from his harsh words. "Why are you protecting that bastard? After everything he has done to you? To your brother?"
"I'm protecting my brother!" Onii loses control. His own voice rises a little bit. The shame from his stupidity moments ago, and Raphael's words hitting too close to home leave him vulnerable and exposed. Heavy tears threaten to fall; he tries blinking them out of existence but they don't appear to stop forming so he glances aside. "That's why— that's why I— I have to think of Oto." He inhales and wipes his face indignantly. He's not going to cry. Crying never solves anything. It doesn't help Ototo. It doesn't fix wounds. He... he doesn't know what's wrong with him. His arms hug his middle. "Our lives may not be perfect, but at least... at least we are living."
"You're surviving," Raphael tells him and Onii lifts his eyes. Raphael rests a hand, strong and supportive, on top of his trembling shoulder; and despite all the intention of it, Onii can't bring himself to pull away. "I know you're scared, pal. But now it's your chance, yours and Buddy's. You could be free."
Freedom? What does that word even mean? Onii shakes his head.
"Let me help you," Raphael finishes, more quietly now.
There is such raw emotion in those green eyes. He can't look away. Could it be true? Is it possible? But what if they fail? What if they get caught? Onii would never forgive himself if something happened to his Ototo. But, what about Raphael? Oniisan is a lot of things, but he isn't stupid. If Raphael stays here, he's going to die. And the less dreadful alternative would be a life like theirs. Of servitude. Of woe and fear. Somehow, Onii doesn't think that'll be the case. Raphael is too spirited. Nothing would ever turn him like them.
He's dead either way, the cool-headed, cognitive side of him provides.
So, there's no point. It doesn't matter. Guilt rams inside him like toxin. Was he that heartless? That selfish, to stand by and do nothing? Just allow it to happen?
Coward.
Raphael should mean nothing to him. He's rude, he's loud, and he's violent. Him being here represents a constant danger to his naïve but well-meaning Ototo.
He's just another inmate. A dark, low tone that seems remarkably like Master's whispers in his ears. He was dead from the moment he got captured. There's nothing you can do about it, mongrel. Leave it to die.
And yet...
Even after Onii had shackled him back to the wall and pressure-pointed him, even after he'd trapped him back here, Raphael doesn't treat them like the humans do. Yes, he's got a short fuse, and he's hurt Oto and him, but never out of boredom, never just because he could. It'd been out of confusion and hurt. Fear of an unfortunate position he had no control over, only a single purpose. He... he just wants to go home.
He had attempted to stop Xever from hurting him.
He had talked to Ototo. He treated his little brother like an equal.
However tactless and brash he may be at times, Raphael wants to help in his own way. He cares. It makes no sense. They hardly know each other. Why does he have to act so unreasonably? All of the sudden, protective? Why? Why did he have to care? Why did he have to be a turtle?
It doesn't matter, he realizes. The reason, the questions, the never-ending noise inside his rambling head. None of it matters now.
Onii shudders. Even if the right choice is there, voicing it is a completely different matter. Sweat dribbles down his forehead but his mind and heart are made up. He meets Raphael's stare and takes a deep, determined breath. "I—"
The door bursts open.
Onii bolts to his feet, neglecting his crutch on the ground. He turns around just in time to catch a livid Baxter Stockman at the doorframe. The instant the man sets eyes on Onii, his face contorts into a grotesque mask of restrained fury and he marches into the cell.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" He halts before Oniisan. "Can your miniscule mutant brain even comprehend the concept of six o' clock on the dot, freak?"
"I-I'm sorry, sir," Onii says in a rush, his gaze averted towards the man's leather shoes. His fingers fidget between themselves in a continuous pattern in front of his chest. "I was... Master's prisoner had a fever, and I was just making sure he—"
The slap shoots his face to the side. Onii loses his footing. He catches himself against the stone wall, breathing heavily as he obliges himself to stay upright. Every nerve between his knee joint and upper and lower legs is on fire. He grits his teeth. He should've known better than to let his guard down.
"I didn't ask for any of your pathetic excuses! You better be at the lab in five minutes or else– or else I'll inform your Master."
That is all the encouragement he needs to pick up his crutch and limp towards the door. He's halfway there when the unmistakable sound of a startled yelp and a violent punch greets his ears.
Onii's sucks in a breath. He whirls around.
"Hey, Spunkman." Raphael raises Baxter Stockman higher in the air by the collar of his shirt and slams him against the wall. "As I seem to recall, Shredder's your Master too," he hisses in Baxter Stockman's face. The man kicks his legs, as they sway, idle in the air.
How can he even move so quick with that injury on his shoulder? Onii takes a reluctant step towards the pair. Then something terrible happens.
Stockman yells. His pleas for help engulf every curve of the dungeons. And now it's only a matter of time for them to come.
Raphael growls and punches him right on the nose, effectively shutting him up. Stockman's glasses drop to the ground, the lenses break into fragments. His bleeding nostrils scrunch in both agony and disdain.
"I don't see you throwing insults and threats anymore, Speckman." Raphael shakes him and drops the feeble man at his feet. "I guess it's a cowards thing."
"You'll regret this," Stockman says between groans. He rises to his hands and knees with effort. Then his brutal eyes find Onii's. "Get to the lab, you!"
Onii backs away from the obvious threat and strains towards the door once more.
There's the sound of a kick and another groan. "Hey! You're talking to me now, Dexter."
This time, Raphael's grabbing Baxter Stockman's throat, squeezing it like an orange. The scientist's face turns blue at the lack of oxygen in his lungs. His fingers claw at Raphael's death grip without avail.
Everything slows down then. Raphael's green eyes gleam with terrible rage. His mouth is woven into a snarl. He lifts his fist once again, preparing himself for one last strike. The hand curled around Stockman's neck increases its pressure.
He can hear the footsteps now.
"Raphael!" Onii finds his quivering voice. "Let him go! Let him go now!"
Whether Raphael would have complied, Onii would never know. In that moment, Xever bursts into the cell and pushes him aside. Out of the way. Onii plummets to his knees. The wooden piece on his cast snaps into two and he groans. But he has no time to dwell on his distress as more guards rush into the cell. He has to crawl away to avoid getting stomped on. Now, in the safety of a corner he can do nothing but stare, frightened, at the scene before him.
Xever kicks Raphael in the stomach. Out of wind, Raphael chokes in a short gasp and braces his abdomen. Their plastrons are strong, but Xever's legs are made of an almost indestructible alloy.
The men pick up a barely conscious Doctor Stockman by his limbs and haul him away. The tips of his formerly impeccable shoes scrape the floor as they tow him out the prison cell like a rag doll.
Once Stockman and the men are out of the way, once there are no more witnesses, Xever wastes no opportunity. He swings his leg back and strikes it against Raphael's chest. He cries out. In his already weakened health, the prisoner has no choice but to embrace himself as best as he can until Xever has had his bloodlust.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Gasp. Groan. Hold back. It's like Onii is reliving their training with Xever all over again. Forced to stare helplessly as Ototo curls up on the floor. Fresh blood springs from green flesh. Older wounds reopen. New ones darken their skin.
"Stop! Please!" Onii staggers to his feet, sagging against the wall.
Xever continues his attack. Raphael's struggles lose their accuracy. His limbs get weaker until they fall completely limp on the floor. His eyes are dazing out. There's so much blood.
"Master said not to kill him! Stop!" Nothing is going to convince him. "Stop, Xever!"
And Xever stops.
Raphael falls limp at the mutant's metallic feet. His chest falls and rises in a hurried rhythm. Still breathing.
Onii's relief is trimmed short when Xever turns on his heels and advances on him now. "You're right, boy," he snarls and Onii feels himself shrinking against the wall, practically to a kneel, with each step Xever takes. "So, you better hope he's still alive by the time Master Shredder comes back."
Onii has no time to process what Xever is saying as the mutant bends down and grabs him by the arm. In swift movement, Xever pulls him to his feet and hauls him towards the doorway. Onii looks back at Raphael's unconscious form just in time for the door to slam shut.
No. "Wait," he pleads, now desperate as he attempts to break loose from the mutant's grip. "I have to... He's going to die if we don't do something. He needs help." Xever ignores him, letting out a low, satisfied snigger. Onii jerks against his caretaker's grip. This time he almost manages to yank his arm away. "He needs my help! Let me go!"
Xever puts him back in his place in less than a minute. He grabs his hand and bends his wrist unnaturally against its joint. The back of his fingers nearly touch his forearm with unimaginable force. Onii contains a gasp. He has to lower himself in effort of readjusting his hand and wrist connection, to somehow neutralize the effects of the simple yet painful lock.
"What is going on here?"
Xever releases the lock in a flash. Onii exhales in relief.
Tiger Claw towers over both; an impatient growl reaches his throat, his one good eye glaring down.
Under any other circumstances, he'd have kept his big mouth shut. That's not an option anymore. "Please, sir," he answers before Xever can stop him. His furious caretaker digs his thin, sharp nails into his flesh. Onii winces but he ignores the aching and points at the closed cell door. "He's hurt. You have to– you... you– I– I can help him. Let me help him. Please."
There's silence at first. Then Tiger Claw's detached, scrutinizing gaze becomes too much. Onii bows his head, casting his eyes from the mutant.
Tiger Claw walks past him without a word. The cell door groans open. There's a low curse behind Onii. "What did you do, Xever?" he asks tightly, not glancing away from the gory picture inside the prison.
"Nothing he didn't deserve." Xever strengthens his grasp on Oniisan.
A fierce roar echoes in the dungeons. "You fool!" Tiger Claw slams his paw against the wall and Onii's heart leaps in terror. "We needed him alive! Master wanted him alive!"
"It was the only way to get him to release Stockman—"
"—That's a lie!"
Both high-ranking mutants turn towards him, bewildered. Onii's lips are parted slightly in equal dismay and horror. He attempts to breathe in, but the air feels too dense, absent. Not even he can believe what he just did.
"What did you say?" Xever says between gritted fangs in both a warning and a promise. He shakes Onii's arm as he demands once more, "What the hell did you just say, you worthless slave?!"
Onii clenches his eyes shut, making every effort to block them out. Biting his lower lip, he contains any sound that might escape him.
"Give the cub to me, Xever," Tiger Claw orders without any emotion whatsoever.
"No." Xever yanks him away from Tiger Claw's reach.
"You can have your way with him after," Tiger Claw says. "Someone has to make sure the prisoner stays alive."
"Then you better find someone else to help you with that, and fast," Xever bites back then turns towards Oniisan. "This one needs some more schooling."
Without warning, Xever starts dragging him away once more. Onii looks behind. Hopeful. Stupid. His agony-filled eyes settling on Tiger Claw, pleading for him to intervene, but the mutant doesn't grant him a glimpse as he disappears into Raphael's cell. A pang, like a blow, penetrates his heart as he resigns himself to a well-earned fate.
Onii is focusing too much on trying to keep up with the mutant's brisk pace to discern where Xever's taking him.
After a flight of stairs, they arrive at the first floor and stop at the boiler room next to the kitchen. That's when matters become both apparent and alarming. Inside there is a tall, wooden, cupboard-sized box that Onii knows far too well. It is supported with metal at its corners and joints, has four holes on top of it, just big enough to allow air in. There's a single door on its front face with a hand-sized slot for food and water. Both only open from the outside.
No. Onii can't help but weakly pull against Xever's grip. His efforts only make his captor more furious. Xever fastens his grasp on him and hauls him forward, whirling him around, so he's looking directly into Oniisan's round eyes.
"I'm getting tired of your defiance, you little freak. You seem to have forgotten who's in charge around here. You seem to have forgotten who I am and what you are," Xever hisses and bends Onii's wrist against its joint again. Onii lets out a moan but this time he doesn't struggle to fight it. "So, let me help you refresh your memory."
He draws out the familiar set of keys from his metal belt. Unlike Onii and Oto's, with solely one key for the dungeons cells, this ring holds a dozen of them and a small remote for digital locks.
Xever unlocks the door, exposing a prison hardly bigger than Oniisan, with only a forgotten empty waste bucket in a corner. He throws Onii inside.
Onii lands on his side. He pulls himself up just in time to see Xever smiling at him. "Welcome back to the Sweatbox, boy."
Then the door slams shut.
A/N: Oh dear, will I ever give them a break? Nope. Not in this story! Ha-ha!
The Stweatbox is actually a personal nightmare. I'm an animator and in animation terms The Sweatbox was the room in Walt Disney Studios in which all the supervisors, Walt himself, sat and looked and critiqued everyone's work. It was called the Sweatbox because this room did not have AC and it was super crammed all the time so it was very warm. Basically the room where people realized they had to repeat all of their months' work. Now, the term Sweatbox refers to the revision room. Even if they're comfy and with AC.
Of course this particular Sweatbox is slightly different. Hehe. I just wanted to share this random fact.
Also, guess who's not a disgusting fly mutant thing in this AU? You're welcome, Dexter.
