A/N: Hello! I managed to get another chapter finished before I leave. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and a HUGE thanks to Moogs for betaing this for me. I'm sorry to say, but the next chapter will not be up before June 7th at the absolute earliest, so please be patient. :-)
Disclaimer: My turtle luck is running true to form: I still own nothing more than the plot.
You know they'll hate you now.
"W-who? What-what are you?" Michelangelo's eyes darted around the dimness, looking for the source of the voice as he ran through the sewers, paying no heed to his direction. Lukewarm sludge squished up against the side of his foot as he splashed through a shallow puddle. "How are you inside my head?"
I am one of your voices. We have spoken before.
"My what?" The turtle felt heat pressing on the back of his eyes and a slight throbbing in his head.
Your voices, your spirit. Even though you've kept me out since December, I feel it's time we know each other better.
"Since December? You're what made me have those blackouts?"
That's not really important right now.
Mikey's eyeridges shot up. "It's not impor—"
I MEAN, the voice interrupted, that there is more for you to think of than just that, especially the fact that your family hates you now. They loathe you for what you've done.
"No! That would never happen! They're my family; they love me!"
Like it or not, they'll hate you as you hated them when they got in your way.
"I didn't hate them, you hated them!"
Sorry, little one, but I am you. If I do something, that is only because you are doing it.
"T-that's not true!" Tears were flowing rapidly from azure eyes.
Ah, but it is. They've always held you back, treated you like a little kid. You have every right to hate them. After all, isn't hate the reason that you're running away?
"I'm not running away! I just don't want you to hurt them again."
And that is why you attacked your own Sensei? That is why you hit your best friend when you knew she couldn't defend herself?
"B-but I didn't do that!"
Yes you did. Here's proof. Vibrant images flashed through Michelangelo's mind, complete with every possible detail. His feet stopped on their own accord as he watched his own actions in horror. You see? You did this to them and they'll hate you.
The orange-clad turtle dropped to his knees. "No," he breathed. "No…" The images faded from his mind, lingering longest on the sight of the hurt in Donatello's eyes. "I hate you," he muttered.
What was that?
"You heard me! I HATE YOU!"
Very good. We're finally making some progress! Doesn't hate feel strong? Trust me and I will show you how to earn back your family's love.
"Who are you?" Michelangelo suddenly found himself suspicious.
Why, I am you of course. I am your anger, your hate. I am strength and I am power. Embrace me and you shall be unstoppable.
"I don't wanna be unstoppable! I could hurt someone like that!"
I think that you do want to be unstoppable, or at least unstoppable when we go to slay Karai.
"What?"
You know we must. She is the one who awakened me inside of you. She is the one who hurt Leo so badly. As you sit here feeling sorry for yourself, she could be making a new plan to destroy all of your brothers. Destroy her and not only will your family and friends be safe, but you will have their eternal gratitude.
"I can't destroy Karai," the turtle protested. "Not even Leo could do that, and we've tried."
You haven't tried my way. Embrace me and you will be sure to win.
"Are you sure?" Michelangelo was becoming tired of this argument.
Absolutely. I will make you stronger, faster. The voice became sweeter, softer. All you have to do is accept me.
"Really? I'm not sure…"
You can let me go at any time. You can stop the moment you want to.
"Well, maybe…" Michelangelo's voice trailed off as the blood-rage returned to his eyes.
"How will we stop him if he's still like before?" April, Donatello and Master Splinter were running through the sewers. The turtle was in the lead with his tracking device.
"I don't know, April, but it looks like he's staying in one place right now. I hope he's alright."
The girl nodded in agreement with her friend's sentiment. If the youngest turtle was holding still, it could mean that he was unconscious or worse.
The sound of familiar voices caused Michelangelo to whip around. They are coming to stop you. They are coming to take you back with them to punish you. They must be tracking the Shell Cell, so drop it so they can't follow you!
There was a small splash as the device fell into the sewage. Now let's go before they get here!
"But maybe they can help—" Blue eyes shone momentarily.
Red eyes returned in a flash. No, they will only try to stop you.
Blue eyes. "They're my family. We always do this together."
Red eyes. You want to protect your family, don't you? Taking them with us would only put them in danger.
"I guess you're right…" The brilliant blue began to fade.
Of course I'm right, red eyes now shone in the darkness. We must hurry.
Michelangelo faintly felt his hand grasp the cold metal of the ladder leading to the manhole cover above. He didn't even notice when he began to climb.
Only minutes later, the three searchers ran into the tunnel that the youngest had been in.
"The tracker shows he's in here," Donatello whispered. Cautiously, he took a step forwards. To his dismay, the tracker indicated that his brother's phone was in the sewage itself. Withdrawing his bo, he walked up to the spot and felt around the sludge with the end of his weapon. "He's not here. Just his Shell Cell is. We lost him and there's no other way to track him!"
"Don't worry, Don. We'll find him." April laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"But he could be out there anywhere and just getting more unstable! He doesn't have much time left before that device overwhelms him!"
"So we had better get looking."
Donatello smiled at April's optimism. "I guess you're right, but I don't even know where to start."
"Then what do we do?"
Donatello shrugged. "Any ideas, Master?"
With a sigh, the rat closed his eyes. "I can sense that while here, Michelangelo's spirit almost reached its breaking point. But as to where he has gone, I do not know."
Donatello and April exchanged a glance. "This can't be good."
Two heavy-set Foot soldiers came running into Chaplain's laboratory, surprising the ten that were standing guard inside.
"Quickly!" one shouted. "The turtles have attacked down in the library. Mistress Karai has ordered that everyone gets there as fast as they can!"
"Why didn't she just summon us on our com-links?" The tallest of the guards stepped forwards, his voice sounded suspicious.
"They managed to jam everything. The com-links are not working and they disabled all of the alarms and everything. Look, would you rather sit here and argue or will you follow direct orders from the Mistress herself?"
"Fine," the tallest muttered under his breath. "Come on, everyone," he pointed towards the door. "You all heard the orders. Let's go. Oh," he turned back to the newcomers, "Stay here and guard this room. It's not to be unguarded for a single minute."
"But—"
"That's an order."
"Yes sir." Both of the newcomers bowed. Within a couple of seconds, they were the only ones left in the room. After glancing around for cameras, one reached up and pulled off the black mask.
"I can't believe that actually worked, Leo."
"I didn't believe Don's pigeon puppet would work either, but it did." The blue-clad turtle grinned as he shed the enemy-ninja garb.
Raphael laughed for a moment before becoming sober again. "Speakin' of Don, let's find that thing and get out o' here. I don't like bein' here."
Leonardo walked over to Chaplain's large desk. "I can't say I like being here either. I'm rather surprised that no alarms have gone off or anything."
"Hey, don't jinx us."
The blue-clad turtle carefully pulled open a drawer in the desk. "It looks like the stuff in here has been tossed around like something was being pulled from underneath it." He lifted up one of the pieces of paper. "I think the device was here, but they moved it. This looks like some research that Chaplain was doing on it."
Raphael looked up from the file that he was leafing through. "It moved? So all this comin' in here was a total waste o' time?"
"I'm not sure. Don might be able to use this research, even though I can't make heads or tails of it."
Raphael grunted in dissatisfaction. "But it'd still take hours before Don could do somethin' with it. We need the actual thingamabob."
"Agreed." A small, flashing light suddenly caught Leonardo's eye. "Hmm…I wonder what messages Chaplain had on here. Maybe there's a clue." His green finger pressed the 'play' button and a conversation between Karai and Chaplain began to pipe out of the machine. The two turtles exchanged a worried look.
"Mike could come here?"
"And Karai has it with her."
"And they're expecting us."
"Raph, this is really bad."
"Gee, duh Leo."
"You recorded our conversation?" Karai raised her eyebrow at Chaplain as she looked momentarily away from the video feed.
"Well, um, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, I always tape it when you are telling me what you want so that I can make sure it's exactly perfect for you, especially since you're just so perfect."
Karai rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer. "Regardless, your recording has shown itself to be useful for now."
"Should we get ready for them to get here?"
Karai gave the eager scientist a condescending smile. "We are already prepared for them. Even as we speak, the noose tightens around their necks. Neither of them shall leave here alive."
Yes, a cliffie! BWAHAHAHAHA!! Please don't hurt me! Instead, why don't you take all of that aggressive energy and leave me a review instead? Flames will be used for fuel for my car!
