Who am I? - CH21
TAK3 WY HAND
Disclaimer: TMNT isn't mine and this is just a fanfiction writing. No money is being made on this story.
(TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version and events, the turtles are in their late 20s.)
Warning: It has horror elements.
Rate: T
Drama, family comfort/hurt, and heartache...
Summary: Leo is in trouble... So is another and there is no one to help him...
Leo caught red-handed, stood there at the entrance in Leatherhead's home, paralyzed cycling through all the excuses he could create in such a short time frame, all the while being judged by those golden eyes flaming like jewels in the darkness. He could have fled, yet that wasn't an option, because where would he go?
He hoped so much that he would avoid this, but that wasn't what the cards had dealt to him as it would have seemed.
Sadly, deep down, he knew from the beginning when things weren't going to plan that this would be the end result, he would be waiting for him…
Raph was standing there high up on the platform that had a series of steps that led to Leo. Disappointed by his leader's stupidity, he demonstrated this by crossing his arms, not that he believed Leo could make that out in the darkness.
It was more for his sake, to embark on the idea of him taking control of this situation, regardless he wasn't normally the authority figure.
Even though the old subway station was painted in darkness, with no visible light, Raph didn't have to see to know that Leo was panicking for being trapped into a corner with nowhere to go or hide.
"Raph what are you doing here?" Leo asked coolly, trying to hide that his hotheaded brother startled him, also how disturbed he felt that Raph was being calm, then raging and lashing out like normal.
"Oh well… was just out for a stroll and thought to see how you and Leatherhead were doing," he lied that Leo caught quickly, not that the sarcasm in Raph's voice wasn't a dead giveaway.
"He showed up at the lair, didn't he?" Leo flatly pointed out; he didn't bother to continue playing this game.
"Yep, and to our surprise, he had no damn clue what the shell was going on… So Fearless, what the fuck?" Raph growled, flipping on the light and blinding Leo who in turn shielded his eyes quickly.
"I had…"
"What, something more important? Like going up to the surface with all the Foot Soldiers lurking around?" Raph took a step forward with his left hand comfortably hovering over his sai.
"Raph just trust me on…"
"Trust?" Raph barked blinking at Leo for daring to say that word, "Like to trust you for telling me the truth when you were going out, saying…" Raph looked around waving his free hand mockingly, "Don't worry I'm just going to Leatherhead to talk to him."
"Raph…" Leo sighed, pulling his hood down, then crossing his arms shaking his head at the same time, "It's best that-"
"To lie in my face," Raph pointed to his face in anger, "To sneak around and talk to Nobody?" he scuffed having Leo flash him a look of horror. Leo didn't notice Raph was there or sensed him, how did his brother manage that?
"Surprised Fearless?" Raph contorted moving to the edge of the stairs that led toward the platform Leo was still on.
His foot hit the third step he took a seat on the step behind him, legs spread comfortably eyeing Leo. Sure, Leo was the leader and the eldest, but sometimes he too needed to be put in his place, especially with shit like this going on.
"How much did you hear?"
"Not much couldn't hear the two of you without you finding out I was there, didn't want to bust on your party," he admitted leaning forward, folding his hand before him and setting his elbows on top of his knee pads. "So, are we going to play this fucken game of you lying Leonardo or are we going to keep that damn promise in that cave and be square?" He questioned his brother with a dangerous glare, that made Leo shift in his spot for a moment before letting out a sigh.
Slowly Leo made his way to the first step looking up to Raph.
"I wanted to do this-"
"We are a team there is no I in team," Raph mocked Leo from a past conversation when he being the loner tried to do things on his own and Leo straighten him up for thinking that way.
"Raph, I have no idea what is-" Leo stopped not sure where to start or how far he should go in his explanation.
Growing angry, Raph slammed his fist into the concrete step startling Leo, "Leo we can't do this, I thought we agree-"
"I don't want you to think I'm going insane…" Leo looked up at Raph as tears started to form in his eyes, making the hothead brother taken aback witnessing his leader starting to fold and break.
This wasn't what he was expecting or wanting, normally Leo would argue back in full force and keep strong yet instead the opposite happened. Abandoning his anger, he got up swiftly making his way down the steps and motioned Leo to sit down on the bottom step.
"Okay, I won't," Raph quickly ushered, knowing he had to act right away before Leo was too far gone to help, not that he was one that could help, this wasn't his department after all.
Though it did appear that Leo just needed to talk and hopefully he didn't have to give too much advice not that he thought he would give anything useful.
"Leo please trust me and start at the beginning, what is going on?" Raph asked him, sitting beside his brother who took a long breath with a pause, then started a tale that disturbed him. Leo started off after their conversation in the cave, the figure in the shadows, the disembodied voice, the key card, the fog and the warning.
Through the tale Raph listened, the more he heard of this fantasy, the way Leo was insistent it happened and the fact he did see Leo give Nobody a key card of some sort, he believed in his brother and feared in the end what it all meant.
No wonder Leo was lying to him.
"Shell Leo…" Raph managed to get out when he was told everything, "Leo, you tell me if anything else happens okay."
"Sure... but Raph…"
"Don't worry, I will not tell Donnie-boy or big mouth Mikey, not until we know more, just keep me in the loop and don't be embarrassed or afraid to tell me if you hear that voice again… Shell who is it that you're hearing anyways?" Raph asked, showing he wasn't believing the voice was a figment of Leo's imagination nor a side effect from his concussion.
The things they have witnessed over the years, hearing a voice from beyond or another dimension wasn't a far fetch idea compared to other people's perspectives.
"Honestly, I can't say, just that it felt familiar," Leo admitted getting a nod.
"Friend or foe?"
"Friend, I think… I don't think it wanted to harm me or anyone and the warning was to help I believe-"
"Whatever that warning means, could it have given names then he, him and so on?"
"Yeah, really," Leo huffed with a chuckle, "Would have been nice."
"Yah really," Raph scuffed with a little laugh under his breath as well, "Well, one more thing to add to this shit show, so Fearless how much do you want to bet we all lose our minds when this is over."
"Hmmm…" Leo put his hand on his chin to think, "Am I beating on keeping or losing?"
"Up to you, though the prize should be all you can eat pizza," Raph smirked as Leo gave him a look square in the eyes then shifted his gaze to Raph's gut. That smirk faded as Raph became self-conscious wrapping his arms around his torso.
Leo still staring at it, Raph shifted uncomfortably before letting out a cough to get Leo's attention back to his face.
The smirk he once owned was now Leo's as Leo tilted his head calculating the odds Raph could only imagine, "I say we lose our minds and I will not lose my savings in the process."
"Hey! I'm not Mikey, I don't have the bottomless pit as he does!" Raph growled. How dare Leo label him as a glutton!
"Sure sure, a few beers in you make that change quickly," Leo barked a laugh.
"Oh, so beer is in the deal, I'm going to win for sure, get that fake college fund ready and willing, Leo you're going down!" Raph gave out a hearty laugh.
"Fake, have you know, one day I'm planning to go to college," Leo snickered, feeling good to laugh, even if this conversation would be more a Mikey skit but it was nice all the same.
"What clown college? I would think Mikey would be a better fit than you but maybe one day," he continued as they both started to insult each other with a burst of growing rolling laughter. They both needed it and it was as Mikey would tell them all the time the best medicine when things look like it was going down the drain. Sometimes even if they wouldn't admit it, Mikey was a wise turtle and this was one of those moments.
"Is there anything I can assist you with?" Leatherhead asked after their long conversation over the theories Donatello had on regarding Adam.
Nothing came up alarming and he wondered if his brothers, mainly Mikey, were over exaggerating.
It was evident Donatello was tired with the bags under his eyes and the towering coffee mugs that were going to multiply further no doubt, but other than that nothing that he would have any concern over.
Donatello should take a break or a few and maybe get someone to assist him, so he didn't have to overwork and pile too much stress on his shell as he was doing.
"Thanks, Leatherhead, but I think I can take care of it for now," he insisted, seeing the alligator a little disappointed.
Smiling sweetly, he placed his hand kindly on Leatherhead's shoulder, "I appreciate it, I do, but right now I'm just performing some tests that don't require much effort, however, when I am going to extend my efforts using other more complex methods, I will give you a call."
Nodding slowly, Leatherhead looked towards the desk then back to him, "Then can I suggest that you take a break and get some sleep, burning yourself out even if these tests seem mindless will do you no good, my friend."
"I will, I promise once this last one is done," Donnie patted him as he walked to his desk and flopped down in his chair.
"Then good night Donatello, call me when you need my assistance," Leatherhead started then added, "or need to talk." Turning around he made his leave, leaving Donatello alone in his lab once more.
The door shutting behind Leatherhead, Donnie stared at it counting under his breath before moving his hand towards the monitor turning it back on.
It flashed with a buzz and the screen focused showing his desktop with a few windows open.
The test results he had in one, the other with information on the research theories he discovered from Germany that were fascinating and relevant to Adam to some extent of course.
Then the last one was a chat window; with a conversation he was having prior to Leatherhead stopping by.
The person he was talking to was unfamiliar to him, but piqued his interest particularly the last message before Leatherhead entered.
DD83 - 'The alligator will be here soon, you know that.' (one hour ago)
Duz_machines_84 - 'What do you mean?' (one hour ago)
That was one of many things user DD83 had told him, he speculated it was either Bishop's intel or even the Foot, but how they found out his username and befriended him when he had it set only he will accept new contacts and his system was a secure line practically impossible to hack was worrisome. He started to have doubts it wasn't Bishop or the Foot, for one reason, the intel this user possessed were uncanny.
DD83 - "Adam cannot be trusted; you know the beast is…' (one hour ago)
It was things like that, such as words using beast and so on, it was like the whispers in the dark, he could even hear the voice when reading the texts in his head.
Before Leatherhead came in, he tried to track the user down finding a disturbing result, the IP was his, the location was his, there was no way anyone could fool his system or his methods. No one that worked with Bishop or the Foot could master this, then who was this DD83?
And then there were the details…
DD83 - 'If the fog had not arrived, he would have found you. You know this, don't you? They were closing in; how fortunate the submarine was close by.'
Duz_machines_84 - 'How do you know about that? Who are you?'
DD83 - "You know the answer to that. There's no need to remind you.'
Duz_machines_84 - 'Remind me? What are you talking about?'
DD83 - '...'
Duz_machines_84 - 'Answer me! Who are you?'
Duz_machines_84 - 'Don't give me the silent treatment, who are you! Do you work for the Foot or Bishop?'
DD83 - 'In due time, this is not the time and you're not ready as it's apparent.'
Duz_machines_84 - 'What?'
DD83 - 'The alligator will be here soon, you know that.' (one hour ago)
Duz_machines_84 - 'What do you mean?' (one hour ago)
Watching the monitor Donnie's finger lingered on the message he just wrote; unsure he should entertain this guy or lady.
Should he continue engaging them or should he shut his computer down, check all the wiring for any evidence of tampering then do a sweep of his lab?
Then, as if the individual could read his mind, sent a text to him.
DD83 - 'Are you going to enter your question? Which you just wrote, what was it again ah yes, 'Are you still there? How did you know my friend was gonig to visit?' that's what you have there sitting in the text box right?'
Donnie's eyes widened, terrified by each word in his text box, the person had it correct word by word and even his mistake on 'going' typing it fast and getting the letters mixed up.
He shuttered, pressing the backspace to delete it as he reached the last letter another text popped up.
DD83 - ':('
"He knew I deleted it?" Donnie gulped at how impossible that would be, unless he could see him. However, no cameras were installed behind him to reveal what he was doing, to hack into.
There was surveillance, but none were angled to give this guy a clue.
DD83 - 'No, I didn't hack your cameras and yes, I know you deleted it? To what end, to prove to me that you wrote nothing? Or to deny the extent to which I was correct?'
The haunting text lingering there, Donnie jerked back, shutting off the monitor and scrambling out of his chair.
He moved away from his desk looking around trying to spot any bugs, did someone break into the lair when no one was home and now was playing games with him?
As the thought came across his speakers still on made a chime, one to reveal he had a new message then another.
Moving away, daring to think he should just shut it all down going for the plug when his hand was inches away, he heard a voice that was close to his ear hole whispering, "Don't… you will… lose your results…'
As if it was a reminder he hadn't saved for a while, he jerked back from the socket, turning white as a ghost staring at the computer.
The voice was in his ear and there were no speakers that close for that to be possible.
Suddenly, a flood of nausea overpowered him, making him scrambled with a hop away from his desk and from the madness, to find refuge in his bathroom.
When he entered, he quickly closed the door, convincing himself that action would protect him.
Alone, he was certain, his hands trembled uncontrollably as he repeatedly tried to seize the cold faucet, to do so on his fifth attempt. He hoped this would shock his body back to reality, he placed his hand under it as the icy water chilled them.
Quickly he splashed the liquid into his face, while he leaned over the sink doing this ritual multiple times as if it was to wash away all the worries and fears away.
He stared at the pool of water, asking himself, what just happened, was it real?
The murmurs and the texts were all too alike in nature.
Breathing heavily, he grasped the sides of the sink before daring to raise his head away from the swirling draining water.
As he did, tired eyes glaring in the mirror greeted him, his face distorted being played by the light and shadows, was fed by his exhausted heavy eyes.
He was running on fumes and with his leg hurting like hell, just realizing how he was putting more pressure on it than he should have, he felt the sickness bubbling in his gut.
"Okay, I need to shut it all down and head to bed. I can evaluate this in the morning," he told himself.
When the words escaped from his lips as if the room dropped in temperature his breath could be seen moving towards the mirror, creating a splash effect and then revealed a hidden message.
'Take my hand'
"What the shell!" Donnie cried out as he fell back into the door and realized that it wasn't there to catch him as he kept falling.
With his wounded leg that was no help, he felt the impact of his shell hitting the floor.
He laid there gawking at the ceiling that wasn't familiar, it wasn't his lab that was certain, there was marble tile and had fluorescent lights of a design he never had installed.
His ceiling was overcrowded with pipes, outdated lights and damaged bricks, nothing fancy in the slightest.
Clouded in his confusion he didn't explore his environment further, that was until he heard something moving towards him from his head direction. Tilting his head upwards, not moving his body, which felt heavy as a rock and equally as stiff, he looked behind him.
A thick darkness not there prior, descended upon him. He was incapable of seeing through it, noticing his desk and shelves weren't there, what was, he could not distinguish. Then, within the gloom, two hands emerged, grabbing his face, before he could scream a voice came out of the darkness.
'Take my hand and will unveil the beast!'
"Leave me alone!" Donnie screamed while trying to fight, then pushed his hand up to feel the air and the blinding light of his lab that replaced the darkness. Shaken, he did not budge, trying to understand why he was seated upright and not lying on the floor. He couldn't feel the cold ground instead his warm seat. Bewildered, he dared to examine his surroundings, revealing that he had returned to his lab. That is if he left in the first place...
"What the shell?" he gasped, then almost jumped out of his shell when his computer made that message charm.
When he dared to turn back to his monitor, to some small relief he found it off. Nevertheless, this didn't stop the ongoing activity, the speakers alone revealed. Torn over what he might have to do, he found his fat finger hovering over the switch, pondering on whether he should press it or not.
The charm came again and again as it became a maddening sound taking away his sanity. He had to do it, to stop it! He turned on the monitor in shock seeing the flow of messages.
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'take my hand'
DD83 - 'Don't you want to unmask the truth?'
DD83 - 'Don't you want to expose the beast and the foul secrets it hides?'
The more that Donnie kept his eyes on the screen, he became speechless and under the impression that he was losing… no had no control, as if this DD83 had some twisted power over him. A force that bound him to its will and there was no escape now.
DD83 - 'Don't fight it, you know this is the right path.'
The turtle trembled and the tears flowed down his face.
DD83 - 'Now, would you like to take my hand?'
His body feeling cold with the loneliness clawing at his heart, while he silently screams for someone to save him, that was unanswered, he stared… just stared.
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
DD83 - 'Well? Donnie? Y/N'
Duz_machines_84 - 'Y'
"He will claim 'DONNIE'… you can't let him or all will be lost… Adam is key… he knows 'he' is here from death... he suspects 'his' dark secret... he is planning… 'he' was taken out by him… he is watching… he is the true puppet master… he will claim them all if not stopped…"
TBC