UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE I PROMISE I'M NOT GONE.

I've gotten more into RotTMNT lately so I've been writing for that more lmao BUT I promise I haven't abandoned this place!

Raph grit his teeth at the imposter in his brother's body. "Let 'im go!"

'Leo' smirked at him. "Oh, wow, what a great plan to save your brother. Tell the bad man to go away, everything's better, right?"

Raph looked away from him, and his brother's mouth laughed, a cruel laugh that shook the hotheaded turtle. "Fool. That's not how it works here."

Raph just glared at the ground, and his brother's mouth snarked. "It'll be easier than we thought to break you, Raphael."

His eyes widened, but before he could respond, he felt something entering his system.

When he came to, he was on the ground, on his knees. Another turtle was chained tight to the wall, teeth gritted as he struggled against his restraints.

"R… Raph?" The name came to him right when he said it. He didn't recognize the other turtle, though. Who…

"Leo!"

So that was his name.

"Finally! God, I couldn't deal with that asshole for much longer!" Raph (apparently) exclaimed, and he was smiling, but tears were gathering in his eyes, his lips trembling. Why was he crying? Why did he want to comfort him?

"H-Hey… It's okay, don't cry…" he tried, standing up shakily. Why was he shaking? What was he doing? Why did he care about this turtle?

"'M… 'M not cryin'," the turtle on the wall retorted, sniffing.

Before Leo could respond, Raph's chains loosened and he fell to his knees, a sob tearing from his throat.

The sound seemed to snap Leo out of it, and he came back to himself, all memories, tainted or not, rushing back. He immediately kneeled back down next to Raph, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Raph. Raph, Raph, it's okay. I'm right here."

The hothead looked up at Leo with red eyes, no longer protected by his mask, which must have been strewn away somewhere. "You weren't…" He sniffed again.

-"You're the reason you're stuck here."-

Another choked sob came from him, and Leo wrapped his arms around him, readjusting them both so they were both leaning back against the wall. Raph brought his legs to his plastron, leaning into his brother's hug. "I-I'm sorry, Leo… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I—"

"Hey, hey. Don't be sorry for anything, Raph…" the leaf green turtle interrupted, rubbing Raph's arm soothingly, his mind racing. Had he said something stupid?

He looked into Raph's eyes, finally noticing how hazy they were. Of course Karai would drug him too, why hadn't he considered that? "Alright, Raph. Wh-What'd I say? Can you tell me?"

The darker turtle shook his head, tears starting to leak again. "Don't matta… You were right…"

Leo's fingers started to curl around Raph's arm, but he calmed himself and relaxed them. "Just… Raph, help me out here. I need to know what I said."

-"You're a fucking screw-up. Couldn't fight the Foot—"-

"Shut up!" Raph growled, gritting his teeth and digging his face deeper into Leo's shoulder. Stop remembering, stop remembering…

Idly, Leo patted his brother's arm. He didn't know what to do; Raph obviously wasn't going to tell him anything. Why couldn't he remember?

His doppelganger appeared next to him, laughing a hideous laugh that made Leo jump, which in turn made Raph flinch harshly. "Piss off unless you're going to help! You've done enough damage!"

Raph gasped sharply when he realized who his brother was talking to, digging his face deeper still into Leo's shoulder until the elder could feel how tight his eyes were scrunched shut, could feel his tears.

Leonardo could feel any hope he'd managed to gain that they'd get out—that they'd be okay—leave his heart within a second, watching his usually do tough brother sob and hearing this—this stupid figment of his imagination mock him.

Karai was going to break them. She was going to win, and their brothers were going to find them dead or—or broken or…

Under Karai's control.

His grip on Raph loosened for a second as that realization dawned on him. That was what she was after, wasn't it? For what? To destroy each other? Did she want him to finish Raph off and then just-just sic him on the rest of his family when they… when they came to get him…

They'll come to get him this time. Right? They-They learned, didn't they? They wouldn't leave him and Raph here for six months again—?

His doppelganger snickered at him as his breathing started to get heavier. Raph looked up at him, and his sobbing seemed to freeze as he scrambled a few inches away, still on his knees as he tried to turn his brother's head to face him, only for Leo to jerk away.

The usually blue-clad turtle stood, and his brother followed suit. The former's hands were shaking as he started to pace, biting his lip. She just-she just wanted him to kill them, she wanted him to lose it and listen to her commands and-and then what?

He heard his brother trying to reason with him, but it sounded like he was underwater, the other's words not registering in his mind.

"Finally starting to put the pieces together?"

A growl ripped through the leaf green turtle and he turned towards his double, fists clenching.

"Ooh, am I getting on your nerves again?" the double sneered, but there was a sadistic grin on its face. "Go ahead. Attack me. Show Karai her plan is working out perfectly."

Leo growled again, then dug his nails into his hand before locking both hands behind his head and continuing to pace.

Raphael watched his elder brother nervously as he started to mutter to himself, but all in all just let him be. He wasn't in any condition to deal with him if he switched.

Don swallowed as he packed his Bag o' Tricks, making sure he had more than enough first aid material. And sedatives… just in case.

He hoped they wouldn't end up using them on their brothers.

He heard his lab door open and looked over to see his only younger brother, twiddling his fingers. "H-Hey, dude," Mikey mumbled.

The purple-masked turtle gave him a somewhat warm smile. "Hey, Mike. You ready to go?"

"Uh… Physically? Yeah." The orange turtle didn't look up from his hands.

"...You worried?"

The younger hesitated, then gave a nod.

Don sighed, walking over to him and giving him a pat on the head. "Me, too, buddy. We'll get them out, though. And whatever the Foot did to them, we'll be able to fix."

Mikey looked up at him, and he could see the determination in his eyes. He knew he would do everything in his power to make that statement true, and he knew he himself would, too.

"...Okay," he nodded, and Donnie gave him another pat on the shoulder.

"Now. Let's go get our brothers back."

aaaaaaaaa there's that. I have most of the ending planned out so I should mostly know what I'm writing next time ;;;;

Review?

Shadow