Change
Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, nor anything affiliated.
Summary: Raphael feels change on the horizon. His feelings, body, and brothers are maturing. When Donatello is kidnapped by Shredder, Raphael battles to save him, and with whether his feelings for Donnie are as brotherly as he'd once thought. (Turtlecest. RaphXDon MikeyXLeo)
Chapter 11
Donatello froze in shock. He couldn't move. He couldn't breath. Was this really happening? He found himself actually trying to wake up. Then in one wave of emotion he fell limp in his arms.
The kiss was over as suddenly as it began, and Raph stepped away from him so fast, he almost fell.
"I-I... Donnie, I..."
Donatello just stood, absolutely paralyzed. Raph turned away, cursing himself.
"Raphael..." He felt like the words were just coming without thought, "Come back."
Raph's head shot up. "What?"
Donnie was done with words. He rushed over and nearly jumped in his arms. They kissed so passionately, that Donnie almost started crying. Raphael had to hold him up, but he didn't care. It was like fireworks were going off all around them, even though they stood in dead silence. Raph pulled back, but didn't let him go.
"Donnie... but you told the doctor that-"
"I lied. It's you. It's always been you."
Raphael captured his lips in another hungry kiss.
Just as the kiss was going from deep to passionate, the lock moved. The two jumped, and Donatello rushed him under the bed, praying no one heard them. When Dr. Rain walked in Donnie's jaw almost dropped. His hair was a wreck, his glasses were missing, his coat was unbuttoned and falling off. He looked like a completely different man. When he looked up, there was fire in his eyes. He rushed over to Donnie and threw him back to the floor.
It took everything Raph had not to leap out, and snap this lunatic's neck.
"You're worthless now, do you know that?" He yelled, "I have nothing now! Nothing!"
"What are you talking about?"
"He's gone! The whole experiment just walked out the door!" He turned away, and ran his fingers through his hair, and breathed heavily like a madman, "I have no use for you without him." When he turned back around, and black pistol was in his hand, pointed right at Donnie.
Raph jumped. He grabbed his wrist with both hands and twisted as hard as he could. The break was audible. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain. Raph kicked the gun away.
"Time to go, Donnie." He grabbed his hand and pulled him up. He ran over to the wall, and kicked it hard. He shattered two panels of glass, and they rushed through, right into the overgrown bushes behind the tarp.
They heard the doctor yelling for help, and already heard pursuers. Raph had not let go of Donnie's hand and was doing his best to head straight for the city in the dark, overgrown woods. If they could get to the buildings, they could hide easily. They said nothing and ran swiftly. Raph smiled when he saw the trees breaking, and the golden glow of sidewalk under a streetlamp.
BOOM!
A gunshot shattered the night, and Donnie was yanked down to the concrete, as Raphael collapsed. He lifted up quickly, and gasped when he saw the blood. He flipped him over as quickly and gently. The bullet had gone right through his shell, and through his chest. Donnie couldn't tell if it had hit his heart.
"Raph? Raphael?!"
...
Leo and Mikey stopped suddenly on the rooftop when they heard the gun shot and the cry.
They had listened to Vincent's story for barely 5 minutes. As soon as he had mentioned the greenhouse, and hearing Donnie's name, they'd demanded he show them right away, and rushed off with Vincent reluctantly following.
Now, Leonardo swore he's heard his brother's voice. He looked to Mikey. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah.."
"Raph!"
They jumped from the roof with such skill Vincent could not follow immediately and had to rush for the fire escape. They ran right down the street, no care for hiding in the shadows, when they got to the street light, they froze.
Donnie was still trying to check his wounds, with tears in his eyes. He looked up. "Leo! Mikey! We have to-" He was cut off by another gunshot, it whizzed past them and struck a building. They got the point immediately, and scooped up their brother, who was lifeless in their arms. They ran into an alley, as fast as they could, and with much difficulty managed to sneak down a manhole, nearly leaving Vincent behind.
He was the last one and he closed the manhole with care. They could hear no indication that they were seen. They laid Raph down and Donnie did his best to examine him in the low light. The first thing he did was press his fingers to his pulse. To his relief and shock, it was there. "He's alive." He announced, "We have to get him home."
"That's miles away." Mikey said, trying to hold in his tears.
"We have no choice, Mikey. I don't have anything with me to help him."
...
It was a long, hard journey back to the lair, and once there, they were all exhausted and panicked for Raph. They laid him on the couch. Donatello rushed through, and grabbed supplies from his lab. When he returned he looked at Leo. "Get Master Splinter."
Vincent stood in the shadows, his heart racing.
He quickly gave him several shots, and Mikey just stood, tears rolling down his face. Master Splinter rushed in with Leonardo, and knelt beside Donnie. "What's happened?"
"He was shot. He's alive, but he's lost blood."
Leo rushed over to Mikey, he grabbed his hand, and motioned for Vincent to follow. He led them to the dojo, and instantly started trying to calm Mikey down.
"It's ok, Mikey. Let them handle it."
Mikey collapsed into his chest, forgetting everything he'd been upset with him for. Leo looked over him, at Vincent, who was staring at the floor in shame. He looked up, and met his gaze.
"I'm so sorry... I brought this upon all of you."
"How?" Leo said, almost angry.
"They're looking for me. They had Donnie for an experiment that had to do with me. It's all my fault."
"What do you mean an experiment to do with you?"
Vincent looked down, ashamed again. "I'd have to start from the beginning. The first-" He was cut off by Donnie, and Master Splinter coming in the room. He tried to jump back but Donnie saw him right away and his jaw dropped. Master Splinter's eyes were wide, but he said nothing.
Mikey was the first to break the silence. "Well, how is he?"
"He'll be ok, I think. I'll have to keep a close eye on him, but for now, he's alive... Who the hell is that?"
"Um... that's Vincent."
"Vincent?"
"Yes." Vincent was the one who spoke, "And I believe we have a mutual acquaintance. Dr. Ian Rain?"
Donnie eyes him suspiciously. "Yes..."
"Please, let me explain... to all of you."
Donnie motioned for them to sit, and they all did. Vincent took a deep breath before starting:
"For as long as I can remember, I have lived in a lab. The only person I have ever known since birth is Dr. Rain. He ... created me. I don't know how. All he would ever tell me was that I was his most successful creation, and experiment. He was never a cruel man. Very much a workaholic, and very touchy about it, but not anyone I would consider evil.
He raised me, teaching me walk, talk, speak, read, write. I read a lot in my younger years, and learned much, but what I really wanted was freedom. I was treated like a patient. I answered the same questions every morning and night, I ate what I was told, learned what I was told, and felt what I was told to feel. He was secretive with me. I never knew why he did things the way he did, but I was taught it was rude to ask. Obey. That was my one regulation.
Recently, within the last two years or so, Dr. Rain made what he called a "breakthrough". He wouldn't tell me much, but he worked with a new obsession. He started talking to me less often, slacking on the rituals he'd trained me to follow my whole life. Then, for the first time in my life, I left the lab. Granted, it was only to move to the lab we just came from, but for me... it was monumental.
I would be lying if I said I was completely unaware of what was going on. I knew there was a new subject. I knew that new tests were being done that, somehow, I didn't qualify for any longer. That thought hardly upset me. Let's just say," He looked over at Donnie, "Your Raphael saved you just in time..."
Donnie shifted uncomfortably, for more than one reason. Then his mind started to catch up with him, and he set himself into survival mode. "We have to get out of here. They got me here, and they said that they've place explosives. Obviously, they can get around my security, and we're not safe here."
"Raphael is in no condition to go anywhere, Donnie." Leo pointed out.
"I know that, but we can't protect him, or ourselves here."
"We have to go to the farmhouse, then?"
"That's our only option right now, I'm afraid."
Leo and Mikey looked at each other, confused, but stood and started making preparations. Master Splinter and Donatello stood with Vincent who was very silent, and obviously nervous.
Master Splinter was the first to speak and his words shocked even Donnie.
"I am sorry, Vincent, but you can not come with us."
"What?" Vincent sounded sincerely floored.
"Master Splinter," Donatello turned to him, "You can't honestly expect us to send him back there."
"I do not expect to send him anywhere, but we can not risk being followed. We have to worry about ourselves."
"Sensei, look at him... he is one of us."
"Donatello, your brother has been shot, we do not know if he will live. They are searching for him with deadly force, and we can not bring that upon us."
"They're after me, too. If I go, he goes. Besides, there is more we can learn from him. He has to come with us."
Master Splinter stood silent, but he knew he was defeated. He simply nodded, and left to help the others. Donnie turned to Vincent.
"Thank you, Donatello." He said.
"Don't thank me, yet. I have a question. One that might be hard for you, but I have to know. When you said Raphael saved me just in time, what did you mean? ... What did they do to you?"
...
Leonardo and Michelangelo worked in silence, collecting everything they thought they might need. All of his thoughts from earlier were swirling in Leo's head, and more than twice, he'd turned to say something to him, but the words wouldn't come. How could a simple apology make all of that right, but he knew he had to say.
'For once, swallow your damn pride, Leo' he thought to himself.
"Mikey..." He finally choked it out.
Mikey looked up at him. The innocent sadness in his eyes broke Leo's heart. He walked over to him, and took his hands. Mikey just knew this was going was going to be another speech about why they couldn't be together, and he jut didn't want to hear it. He pulled his hands back.
"Leo, just don't. I told you I got it. You don't have to say it again."
"No, Mikey, you don't understand. I-"
"I understand just fine, Leonardo! You've said it enough."
"No, Mikey. I'm the one who didn't understand. I haven't said a damn thing I should have said. That's why I want to say it now: Michelangelo, you are so ... wonderful, in so many ways. I have known 4 people for my entire life, and I am still convinced that there will never be another person that fits me as well as you do. You are everything I'm not. I'm everything you're not. We're meant to be, Mikey. I don't know how, and I don't give a fuck about responsibility anymore...
I love you, Michelangelo. I want you to be with me forever... and if you'll let me, I promise I won't ever forget that again."
Mikey just stared. It would've have been blank save the tears welling up. In a such burst, he dived onto Leo, and they shared such a passionate kiss, the house now seemed like puppy love. It seemed to last for hours, and they forgot everything going on around them.
Then suddenly, Leo's eyes popped open as he felt the presence behind him. He turned his face quickly and felt like his heart stopped when he saw Master Splinter staring back at him.