So, I hope this chapter makes sense. I knew what I wanted to happen here, but trying to get my thoughts coherent was a bit of a struggle. I appologize for so much talking in this chapter, but there was a lot of exposition that needed to get done before we move on to the next portion of the storyline. That being said, hope you enoy!
Raph's unexpected mental exclamation upon waking quickly had all of his brothers rushing into his room, Raphael with Leo (or was it Remy?) in tow. Before anyone could ask any questions, the pained but exultant look on Raph's face told them the important part: he'd found Leo!
"So…,"Mikey asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.
"He's definitely in there," Raph confirmed, "but things are even stranger than we knew." He went on to describe the visit he'd just concluded with their oldest brother. When he was done, everyone looked at the babbling baby in Raphael's lab with new eyes.
"I'm not sure I understand," Donny finally admitted. "Leo said the Broanins were trying to make a clone of him, but somehow he and the clone became one? How is that even possible?"
Mikey gave him an odd look before saying, "It's the 'Law of Leo.' You've heard of Murphy's Law, right? Well, the Law of Leo states that if anything weird, strange, unusual, or dangerous can happen to Leo, it will. It's like the universe looks for ways to mess with our bro."
"Okay, I'll buy that," Donny said after a pause to actually consider his younger brother's words. "But I was actually talking about how two distinct, though genetically identical, beings can share the same physical body. And, being so joined, how can they possibly be separated?"
A familiar touch at the back of his mind, followed by the image of the Faerin Master Frodo Weathertop, provided the answer. Donny looked at the baby, a slightly panicked look on his face.
"This is beginning to weird me out," he told his brothers after describing what happened. "We have two distinct being, with, apparently, two sets of identical though separate sets of DNA, sharing the same infant body." He gave a slightly hysterical laugh before adding, "On top of that, sometimes the infant consciousness is in control, even to the point of using our brother's Guardian abilities, and at other times Leo is running things, but he has to use the infant's limited abilities to communicate. None of this should be possible!"
A little alarmed by the wild look in his younger brother's eyes, Raphael said, "Yo, Geekazoid, take a chill pill. Mikey was able to reach our resident ghost while you were freaking out, and he's gone to fetch Master Frodo. Maybe he can help straighten things up for you."
"Since we're waiting, can anyone answer a question for me," Michelangelo asked. "Raph said Leo called the other baby Rembrandt. Who the shell is Rembrandt?"
"He was a famous Dutch painter and etcher, born a little over a hundred years after Leonardo da Vinci died," Donatello explained. "Guess Leo wanted to stick to art related names."
Before any further questions could be posed, the turtles were startled by the abrupt appearance of Master Frodo Weathertop at Raphael's side. "Greetings my friends. I hope I can help clear things up. Your spirit-brother has explained what you have learned, and I think I can help fill in the blanks."
"We…I'd be grateful for any clarification you can provide," Donny told him with no small measure of relief.
"It all comes down to the differences between how Gabby was created, and the process the Broanins used to create young Rembrandt. For us, the process is very similar to nature, only highly expedited. We withdrew your brother's genetic material and combined it with genetic material provided by a willing female donor, in this case Ms. O'Neil-Jones."
"Wait," Raphael exclaimed, "You're saying April is Gabby's mother?"
"In a genetic sense, yes," Master Frodo confirmed.
"Does Casey know about this," Michelangelo asked.
"Ms. O'Neil-Jones discussed the request with her husband, and both were in agreement," Master Frodo reassured them. "The process is simple and non-invasive. We gathered what we needed and, and after some very minor work to ensure compatibility, were able to start the process. Like I said before, it's just like natural reproduction, only much faster. The result is a genetically unique individual. The Broanin process is very different, from what we've been able to determine. You must understand, we have only faced the end product of what the Broanins construct.
Unlike us, the Broanins employ a cloning process in order to make an exact replica of their subject. As I told you last time, this clone is typically placed in the care of the original's parents, while the original is raised by darkside loyalists. Until recently, we weren't sure why. Since our encounter at your brother's expense, I have been putting more serious thought and study into the Broanins' thoughts and methods. After some interesting discussion with some of the more senior Lightsiders, I have learned some intriguing facts. When it comes to those who are capable or becoming receptacles for the light or dark, there is no real way to differentiate them from each other. They do, however, have a genetic sequence that distinguishes them from other members of their race, whether it is human or otherwise. Although there is no outward sign that there is a difference in their genetics, it results in that individual having greater mental capacity, and a greater connection to their emotions. Therefore, one of these children raised in a home that teaches kindness, goodwill, respect, etc. will be led to greater service of the light. Children raised in homes that advocate selfishness, self-involvement, self-gratification, and other negative emotions will provide greater service to the dark."
"This is all fascinating," Raphael said. "But what does this have to do with Leo?"
"Bear with me," Master Frodo replied. "I will explain as quickly as I can. Now, as I'm sure you've heard, cloning does not create a perfect replica. There is always some degradation, minute though it might be, in the copy. In the instances of receptacles, that flaw destroys the genetic sequence that allows for them to become receptacles. Therefore, the Broanins can create an exact reproduction of the future receptacle, and leave it for the parents to raise without ever knowing the difference. The original baby is then delivered to the darkside parents to be raised as dark receptacles."
"Still not seeing the correlation here," Mikey inserted. "Leo's way beyond being a simple receptacle, and he certainly isn't a baby."
"Ah, but this is where things get even more interesting," Master Frodo told him. "Broanins can only clone infants, because they are more malleable at that stage."
"Again, not seeing the relevance," Raphael growled, beginning to get frustrated.
Master Frodo fluttered his wings in apparent growing agitation. "There have been documented cases where individuals who are beyond infancy have been reduced back to their infant state and then cloned; such is what we believe has happened to your brother."
"Okay, I'm following that far, but it's the whole Remy/separate consciousness thing that's causing a hang up for me," Donny told him. "How can there be two of them sharing the same physical space? And what good would it do them to clone Leo? If you're right, it's not like his Avatar abilities would copy over to his clone. Would they? And who would be behind this? We locked Darktide away, destroyed, Malatempa, and eradicated the Shredder."
"I can't begin to guess who engineered this scheme," Master Frodo told them, "but to answer your first concern, the truth is your brother and his clone don't occupy the same physical space. As you saw, based upon the scars, your brother's physical form is in this reality; the clone's is developing in the Between. As for whether or not the baby will have any of the abilities of an Avatar, well, this has never been done before, so there is no telling which, if any, of those abilities will develop."
"The nursery," Raph suddenly exclaimed. "The one I saw in my dream walk."
"Very likely," Master Frodo confirmed. "Though I am not sure why there is a barrier in place. It has been long enough for the process to have completed itself, and for the Avatar to have detached from his clone. It would seem counterproductive to keep the original locked away with the developing clone if you mean to appropriate the child for your own use."
"Unless our mysterious mastermind isn't the one who put the barrier up," Raph said. "What if Leo put it to keep the baddies from getting their hands on Remy?"
The more the brothers thought about it, the more that seemed likely; after all, it would be just like Leo to lock himself away to protect a member of his family.
"So, how do we get them both out of there," Mikey asked.
"Until he's certain the baby will be safe, Leo's not going to take the barricade down, and he's certainly not going to abandon Remy," Donatello pointed out. "So I think we need to start doing some hunting of our own. There's got to be something in our reality that would point to who's behind this."
"I wish you luck," Master Frodo told them. "I think at this point have provided as much help as I can."
"And we appreciate it," Donny replied. "But I think you're right; from this point out it's going to be up to us to figure things out. And I think I know where we have to start: the lab."