Donnie was holding the blaster tightly. An evil laugh echoed in the haze surrounding him.

"You can't win this fight turtle," the cruel voice said. "To think you even stood a chance."

Beads of sweat formed on Donnie's brow. Where was he? Where was the Shredder?

"Fool."

Donnie whirled around. As the haze slowly dissipated, the silhouette of the Shredder slowly came into view.

The blaster fell from Donnie's hands.

No…this couldn't be right.

Laid out before the Shredder were the broken bodies of his brothers, young and old.

The Shredder stepped forward. His cruel bladed hand gleaming.

"Once again vile turtle. You've failed."

"NO!"

Donnie woke up shaking. A thin sheen of sweat covering his body.

It was the night before the battle. No one was dead, but it had seemed so real. His brothers' pale lifeless faces swimming before his eyes. Not again. He couldn't go through that again.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around his trembling body.

"I'm here Don," said Leo.

Don curled into his brother's chest, clinging to the strong calming presence his brother brought.

"Leo…I..I….I couldn't save you. I couldn't save any of you!"

The young blue masked ninja held his brother tighter. As if trying to shift his brother's pain to himself.

"Nothing is going to happen to us Donnie. It was just a dream."

Donnie couldn't stop shaking. He knew it was a dream, yet the crippling fear wouldn't leave him.

"Please," Donnie whimpered. "Don't leave me."

Leo's heart broke hearing his brother plea. Drawing him closer he whispered, "Never."

….

It was the morning of the battle. Soon, the resistance would finally begin the assault on Shredder's fortress. Everyone was on edge but none more so than Donnie.

He had been here before. Putting a plan he came up with into motion. Knowing that any one of them could be killed. Donnie clenched his trembling hands. He couldn't let those thoughts win. He had planned this for months. His family was here with him now, and they would be here with him after. He had to believe that.

Young Mikey saw his brother's face and frowned. Don was starting to freak out.

"Yo, Donnie. You got a minute bro?"

The orange turtle peered into Don's face. There was a shadow hanging there that worried him. He never wanted to see that look in his brother's eyes.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

Donnie blinked. What the shell was Mikey talking about?

"Ok so this one guy walks into a pizza shop and this donkey is at the counter –"

"Mikey, what are you doing?"

The orange turtle stopped mid-sentence dropping his gaze to the ground. He scuffed his foot on the floor and blushed.

"I dunno man, you were just lookin'…really messed up," he mumbled. "I was just trying to cheer ya up."

Donnie looked down at his little brother. Sighing he pulled the young turtle into a hug, a small smile on his face.

"Thanks Mike. I feel better."

Mikeys face split into a huge grin. "Just wait until you hear the punchline!"