They ran at the speed of light, rushing past the gusting winds and flailing branches from the trees to the distant mountain that may lead them to their missing brother. Leo was more then determined to make this the final outtake of finding Michelangelo. He looked over to his side to see Raphael; study him more then anything else. He could see the anger on his face, something familiar to him. This is the most normal Leo has seen Raph recently he felt content but if he looked closely he can see he was distracted. He knew what ever he saw trying to retrieve Mikey in the spiritual world, changed him slightly. It seemed to Leonardo that he has become more cautious, determined in a way but knew this wasn't a good change to have.

Raph looked over to make eye contact with Leo as the ran for a fraction of a second before turning back to face the large unrequited mountain, looking at its rough edges and slight sense of winter that bored at the top. Raphael did feel a slight tease of regret for not saying anything to Leo when he asked about what he saw with the spiritual world. But the problem was, he couldn't. He didn't fully understand the changes and the tone of that world. He could still feel the cold sweep of the world flash through him and still hear the voices speaking to him in some regurgitated language that he couldn't understand. He wanted to vent, wanted to reach out to someone who might be able to help understand the complexity of the situation but knew that Leo, Donnie, nor Master Splinter would be able to help in this situation. He knew the only person he would be able to speak to was Mikey. Raph felt deep down that he was his only option.

A slight tremor went through his body thinking of his younger brother. The figure, haunting him continuously. He saw the dark figure every time he shut his eyes. This fear, this terrifying feeling he was getting was nothing he had ever felt before. Not when they fought off the shredder countless times, not when they went the the Dragon Tribunal, not even when they lost Splinter or when they all almost died countless of times. He knew somewhere in the depths of his soul that there was something else going on, affecting his mind drastically. He felt as if there was a spy cam, someone watching, feeding off of his pain and anger. The nightmares was the clarification that he needed to tell him he was right.

When Donnie explained that he and Leo also had somehow acquired similar night terrors, Raphael knew that they had all became pawns of this man name Rictor's game. Raph knew he wasn't a tech like Donnie was, but when it came to strategies in fighting, Raph can put them together. Rictor was fighting them, harming them without laying a single finger on them and that is what infuriated Raph the most. He took one more glance at Leo and hoped that he could figure it out as well. As much as he would love to tell him himself, something kept stopping him. Some invisible force in the back of his mind to him to keep quiet, don't make a sound. Raph gulped down hard and tried to focus on what was ahead.

When they finally stopped at the base of the world created rock and stone, Raphael took a deep breath and looked at Leo. As he if he already knew, Leo faced him at the same time, watching him waiting for Raph to speak.

"look Leo, I'm sorry I've been an ass I'm not trying to." He mummered, breaking eye contact with his eldest.

"It's okay Raph, I just wish I had more to go on then what your leading on to be." Leo admitted. "If you could just give me more to help me keep a clear head." Leo knew Raph was hiding something, something more then even Splinter didn't know of. As much as he hated to push his brother after understanding what a delicate stage he is in, he had to keep pushing. He felt it, a swarm of dread surrounding their family and he knew he needed to do something fast but couldn't without Raph's knowledge.

"I cant Leo." Raph said simply it was shocking. Leo saw the dread handing deeply in the gold eyes of his brother and knew he was struggling. Leo knew he lost this round and would leave the subject alone for now, until they were able to help their brother. With a sigh he nodded in understanding and dug into the duffel bag that Donnie supplied for them. He pulled out the four stakes and handed them over to Raph before pulling out his shell cell and called Donnie.

"You guys there?" Donnie asked over the phone.

"Yeah. So we're just placing these and the edges of the base and tell you when we're done right?" Leo asked for clarification.

"That's right. Just let me know when you get that done." The click of the phone told Leo that Donnie hung up. He could sense Donnie's frustration through the phone. He knew how much closer Donnie was to Mikey than to any of them. He knew even though he would holler and throw Mikey out of his lab countless of times, he knew Donnie loved having Mikey so interested in what Donnie was working on or how Mikey enjoyed the challenge of trying to push Donnie's buttons. The fight between Raph and Don was a strain on both of them. Having such a close bond with their brother was a challenge for them and for Raph to keep such delicate information away for Donatello was probably the biggest challenge Donnie has ever faced.

Tossing the phone on the bag and placing in on the ground, he looked up to Raph and nodded at him. Both taking two, they ran around the base going opposite directions. Placing the first one on the ground, Leo watched as it started to blink, telling them that they found Mechanical particles in the air. Leo smiled slightly, taking a mental note in praising Donnie and his big brain.

As they finished placing the stakes into the ground, Leo called up Donnie again letting him know that they finished placing the stakes around the parameter.

"Okay now you guys need to back up, at least twenty feet away from the base. If this works, then its gonna be a big blast." Donnie warned. Taking note, they took a far enough post from the base, waiting patiently for Donnie to do whatever he's about to do.

Donnie moved quickly over the key board as he typed away different variables and codes. Taking in a breath of air, he clicked the enter button and only hoped his hypothesis was right and they would be one step closer into finding Mikey.

Leo and Raph stared with awe as they watch the electrical waves splattered and swerve in elegant movement, dancing with one another with the symphony of mechanical works only someone with a high mental compatibility could ever understand. Suddenly, the mountain was suddenly clouded by a white light and a large boom to follow. The force of the impact was too strong for either turtle to fully go against and were sent back against the large trees that protected the mountain.

Few moments passed, waiting till the impact was completely gone. Leo was first to stand up, walking back to where the base was only to gasp and the now scenery that took over his sense of sight. Raph soon followed suit only to look the same as Leo, unable to form words. Donnie was right and deep down they wished he wasn't.

"Guys?" Donnie called from the phone that was weakly held in Leo's hand. Leo finally processed his brother was on the other line and picked up the phone to the side of his head.

"Don.." He could barely say.

"What? It didn't work?" He asked, a hint of disappointment filled his voice.

"No...it worked. Donnie you have to come here and see it yourself." Leo said bluntly, still staring at the object that was once the mountain. Donnie could tell that his brother was distracted and figured it couldn't be anything good.

"Be right there." He said before hanging up the phone. He sighed before grabbing some of his gadgets and placing them in a bag and heading out the door.

Some time passed before Donnie emerged from the forest. He wasn't looking up, too distracted by what ever he was trying to grab from his bag.

"Alright guys-" he looked up and stopped in his tracks. No longer the mountain that was once there but instead replaced with something much more complicated. It looked to be a large black box, covering the entire base of where the mountain once was. It stood half the height but still was threatening as ever. Donnie dared to move his foot closer to the new discovery. In a way he was quite proud of himself to discover something that has been hidden for so many years. He took a shuddering breath and stood next to his brothers who were staring at him for answers.

He walked closer to the squared barrier. He took note of the walls. They were black and moving in the pattern of water might if a pebble was thrown into a pond. He brought up his hand, feeling a cold breeze coming from the wall. Feeling determined, he moved his hand closer, feeling the wall. A shiver ran down Donnie's spine. The wall was breathing, moving in a repetitive pattern. This..thing was alive. He pushed a little farther to feel the wall was cushioned, almost a fluffier material mixed with a meaty interior. Donnie rubbed over it slightly then suddenly a bolt of pain went through his arm and through his chest.

His scream was audible passed his ears, this pain was something he never felt before, it was almost torturous. He suddenly convulsed from the pain and fell back on his shell, breathing in deeply for breath he couldn't seem to find. He felt dizzy and the world around him began to swim. He closed his eyes for a mere second and opened them again to see he was underwater. He wasn't breathing, wasn't moving, he was at a complete stand still. He moved his eyes around to see it looked like the entire earth was engulfed by the oceans. Then he saw it, gleaming brightly in the distant, a star. The star was brightly lit and seemed to be the cause of the sudden engulfment of the world. Around the star stood three tall figures that Donnie recognized to be the guardians.

He tried to speak but only bubbles appeared. He felt his lungs begin to constrict themselves from the lack of oxygen. The corners of his eyes began to dark as the world began to fade slightly. Panic filled his sense, his life slipping away with the current of the water. He felt like he was dangling from a thread, in the hands of these creatures. They were staring at him, the beady eyes peering from underneath the dark hood. Donnie tried to stay calm but he had no oxygen left to use, heart fluttering as if racing with his turmoiled mind.

"Donnie.." He heard a voice. It was faint, barely audible to the ear. It was getting louder, it was soft, sweet in a way. He heard a giggle. Shutting his eyes for a brief moment, he opened them again to show Mikey. He was smiling, that smile that Donnie missed so much. He was laughing, it was filled with so much happiness it made Donnie's heart soar with hope. Mikey was looking at him, still keeping that smile of his.

"You're okay Donnie, you can wake up now." Was all he said. Donnie couldn't respond, didn't know how to. Suddenly the water around him began to extract itself. The bubbles surrounded him instantly, creating a whirlpool, nothing that Donnie had ever experienced.

As if he was brought back from the dead, He gasped, making his back arch as far as it could before coughing hysterically and rolling to his side. He held his chest tightly, eyes wide and wild. He looked down to feel the soft grass kissing his cheek and the small insects crawling up the small stems to look at Donnie. Finally, after he caught his breath and the pain subsided, He got up on his knees, palms still on the ground for extra support.

"Donatello!" He heard Leo. With shaky movement, he looked over to Leo who down on one knee, hands on his shoulders his eyes filled with panic. He looked up to see Raph looking at him. He could see Raph's skin was slightly paled, as if he was silently communicating with him. Donnie narrowed his eyes slightly at his older brother, examining him. Did he see what he saw? Donnie's attention was drawn back to Leo who was trying to get him to talk.

"Donnie answer me!" Leo commanded. Donnie, with slow shaky movements, got up on his feet and sighed slightly.

"This is dark magic. The guardians doing. We cant get passed this on our own, we need the Daimyo." he said bluntly, a slight layer of sweat pooling on the sides of his beak. Leo just looked at his brother, trying to understand what had happened. When Donnie went down, Leo went over to help him in any way,but when he looked over to Raph, he was just standing there, completely still, as if the world around him didn't exists. Countless times he called both Raph's and Donnie's name but neither of them responded. Leo was in a panic for a moment, unable to decide what to do, what was going on. The feeling of being left in the dark was eating at him slowly but surely. His frustration was at a new high. He was the leader, he was the one who needed to know and yet he knew nothing. He gritted his teeth before looking back at the square dome that housed his youngest brother. He secretly prayed that no matter what happens, Mikey will still be his light.

He took a step back before heading back into the forest.

"There's nothing left for us here, lets head back and see if father has returned with the Daimyo." He said, not facing either of his brothers before disappearing into the trees. Raphael was ready to follow before Donnie pulled him back by the shoulder. Raph looked at his brother, to see the stern look from his younger brother.

"Did you see what I saw?" He asked. Raph didn't respond. He didn't know how to. Being in the same proximity at the now exposed hiding place of Rictor sent dread through out his body. When Donnie went down he did see something.

"Did you see Mikey?" Donnie asked. Once again, Raph refused to answer. He did see Mikey. He saw that same Mikey that has been haunting him for the past couple of days.

"Raph answer me!" Donnie demanded. Raph kept his mouth shut, refusing to answer the demands of his brother as much as he wanted to. Donnie huffed slightly before walking passed Raph.

"Whatever Raph." he mumbled following after Leo. Raph stood there a few minutes more, thinking over what he did see. That Mikey,that same one that followed him, haunted him. he was so sad, so lifeless. He stood on that damn star, the guardians surrounding him. As if a warning, a sign in some way. Raph didn't understand the meaning of the images he saw but it was code he was determined to crack. With a growl he turned and headed back to the Nexus with his brothers. He turned back one last time to look at the mysterious cube. He knew he was there but deep down, Raphael felt something was terribly off. As if this entire thing, was far too easy.

Whispers. So much whispering and taunting surrounding his senses, drowning him in the sorrow and empty feeling deep in his gut. Whispers, these whispers reminding him of his failure, his lonelinesss, his desperation for a meaningless exsistance thatdoesn'tt count towards the greater good. Mikey lifted his head from where it laid on his knees. He looked out in front of him, the wall, the blank wall that was staring back at him. His eye twitched slightly from the sound of the voices echoing in his head, filling his every thought with demands and conquering requests. The one thing that burned passed the numbness in his heart was the hatred for Rictor. He wanted that man to burn in hell, die slowly and with agonizing wounds to prolong his demise. Mikey wanted to growl, snarl in a way that his animalistic side would come out, but his body protested.

A rough cough escaped his mouth, reminding him he was in no shape to go against anyone. His body burned and his bones ached with such intensity he refused to move from the door. He scanned over the spot his friend laid, lifeless and began to rot away, his exsistance being forgotten and thrown away.

"Rictor took you away.." Mikey told himself, his voice hoarse from the lack of speaking the lack of usage of the water provided for him. He rationed the goreful food and the bacteria infested water for he never seemed to gain a big enough appetite to each or even enough energy to drink.

He felt the voices get louder in his head. He knew he was beginning to loose his mind staying in this cell all alone. He shivered slightly as he twisted the blood soaked bandana in his hand. He felt as if the meaning of his exsistance was washed away by the sin of his friends death and he couldn't seem to cope with it too well.

By this time, his heart began to race. With no true explanation besides the realization of his situation. With slow movement and a moan of pain from his bottom plastron being pulled on, he stood up and looked around the small cell. His heart banging against his ribs, the blood pulsing in his eardrums. His adrenaline was flying off the charts with anger. He began to breath deeply and balled his hands into fists before turning around and started to bang against the stone wall.

He screamed and yelled in complete anger and frustration and although his movement was sloppy and very uncoordinated, he needed a release. He needed something to make the voices stop, to clear his head for just a second, anything. A sudden pain engulfed his mind making him cry out in pain. He went down on the balls of his feet, cringing his body forward holding his head in between his hands , moaning loudly with mixture of a grunt.

"Stop...Stop!" He gritted out from between his teeth. They were screaming, laughing, putting him through torture he had before. He yelled again, trying to make his voice louder then the voices that were screaming at him. His body was growing weak again, shutting down once again, forcing him to submit to the pains and the demands. His breathing was frantic, unable to get a good amount of breath in.

Suddenly passed the sounds of the voice, there was a distinct noise he hears;crying. He heard the sound of a child crying. Slowly he opened his eyes, barely moving his head up enough to get a good sweep around the cell. This noise wasn't in his head but in the cell. The other voices began to disappear, leaving him with the noise of sadness. When he felt the throbbing of his head subside, he sighed and looked to his side to see a small figure in the corner of the room. Its figure was small but covered by the shadows of the room. Mikey stood back up, letting the shakes go through his legs for a moment till he was able to stand steady. He listened to the cries of the child, trying to understand where they came from and how did they get in here.

"Am I imagining it?" He thought to himself, taking another step forward towards the child. When Mikey got close enough, the child stopped crying but didn't move from where they were.

"Are you going to hurt me?" They asked in a small voice. It sounded like a little boy from what Mikey could hear. Kneeling down on one knee, he tried to get a better look at the small boy but he kept himself tight in a ball, making sure he was unexposed to the world around him.

"No I wont hurt you. Who are you?" Mikey asked with a warm smile. His cheeks retaliated for a moment from the lack of smiling but kept it up for the sake of his mysterious guest to show he was not a threat or dangerous.

"did he hurt you?" He asked. Mikey froze at the question, the smile he worked so hard to put up dropped instantly. Was he talking about Rictor? How would this kid know about him?

"I know what he did, he hurt me too." he said quietly. Mikey leaned back slightly a little taken back by what he said.

"How do you know what he did? What did he do?" Mikey dared to ask. What he didn't expect was the boy to appear out from the corner. Mikey yelp and got up to his feet and went to the other side of the cell, staring wide eyed as the boy stood up with him, only staying on his side, looking at Mikey with cold eyes. He was a small tarripin, standing a little slanted, his limbs terribly frail and his face sunken in. He wore the orange bandana that hung above his child-like freckles, covering the dull blue eyes.

Mikey shook looking at this boy. It was him, him as a child. But why? Why was he here? What did he want.

"I know what he did because he did the same thing to me." He spoke, his face unmoving, completely bare with no emotion to show. Mikey gulped looking at the boy, looking at himself. This was his innocence that has been beaten and shamed. He was nothing more then a scared little boy to the world and now he sees what everyone else sees. A broken innocent.

"You know what you have to do." He spoke again. Mikey didn't understand at first but felt the voices returning to his head. He crunched his hand against the side of his head, trying to force the voices to subside. He whimpered as he pressed his body against the wall. He yelled out in pain when his chest constricted once again.

"You know you have to. If you don't, you'll die here. You will be forgotten, just like everything else." The child spoke. Mikey could hear him but couldn't respond, the pain too much to bare. Biting his bottom lip trying to stop the groans of pain, only gave a new wound to worry about as the blood dripped down his chin.

"You cant deny it anymore. I wanna go home but I cant until you do it!" The boy screamed at Mikey, making it clear for his desire.

"I...wont.." He grounded out, the voices were growing, the shrieking laughter, the sharp tone shrills all of it..invading his mind and body once more.

"Do it! Do it or die!" The boy screamed once more. Mikey had it, he was done. He turned around and swung at the kid with the last bit of force he could muster up. When his fist was about to connect to the boy, he vanished into thin air. Mikey stood there, listening to hear he was in complete silence once more. He took a few breaths and stood there, looking around to make sure he was alone. He leaned up against the wall, allowing himself a little bit of comfort to sort out his wild thoughts. The boy spoke of the one thing he knew had to be done but up until now refused to even consider the option. He needs to kill Rictor before he kills him.

What Mikey didn't know was that Rictor watched the entire scenario and smiled. Humming lightly to himself, he pulled out the folder with Michelangelo's name on it and took a few more notes. Time was almost up, and Rictor was going to make sure everything went out with a bang.

A/N: Hello everyone! Well this took me a few days I'm not too happy about it. But it is what it is! The boys are getting close and Mikey going a little crazy? Let me know what you think!