The Extinguishing Light Within - CH5 (FINAL)
Disclaimer: TMNT isn't mine and this is just a fan fiction 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
This is my secret Santa gift for Tmntlovingleo
The prompt was a story based after the 2k3 episode "The darkness within"
Summary: ONE... TWO... THREE... Into the unknown, can Leo lead them to the study... what will they find?
One
His mind was invaded with the blurring of colours, purple, blue, red to orange, they drifted from him and he reached out desperately for them, not wanting to lose sight of this warmth. The blue began to become twisted, distorted and rigid, becoming one with the crawling death, the darkness within...
Two
The darkness settled and he felt alone, cold, floating in nothingness. All life, all warmth faded to a distant dream. There he could see it, looking at him, smirking with that one eye, nothing more, no mouth, no face just an eye, watching him, judging him, summoning him to its side.
Three
He screams, crying out for this nightmare to end, he yells his lungs out for someone to save him, he howled out this can't be, not yet, he will not fall prey now... he can't be its, for its own desire. The fight isn't over not after thirty years not even for an added hundred if it came to that...
LEO!
The flash of orange came into view, holding onto him, pulling him towards purple and red as he turned blue once again as the tainted black wash away, and he was himself once more.
"Where..." Leo questioned, coming aware the colours were replaced with his brothers' faces in front of him. Unsure what was going on he blinked at Mikey who was the closest to him, trying to grasp and collect the fallen pieces of his memories, to bring some light to his cloud of confusion with some clarity.
"Bro are you okay," Mikey asked, placing his hand on his cheek gently.
"Yeah... I... oh right," Leo rushed to his feet abruptly startling the kid brother as he did so, "Did we make it?" he asked next circling around not believing his eyes.
It wasn't the place he expected, it was no study or small room yet an entryway with a stone floor and in the center was a triangle with an eye on the top. He recognized the decor as he spun around, "It's the building?" he gasped as Mikey nodded.
"It appears so but different, well with more details really," Donnie pointed out, looking at the stairway that had a door that led to the study, where they talk to the owner long ago, which wasn't exactly what he meant. It was the extra steps, the stairway didn't end there that was just one landing, as there were two other sets of stairs that led to the unknown.
"So I thought Leo was going to bring us to this place of his, not back to this nightmare," Raph growled in annoyance.
Speechless over his own bewilderment of this outcome, Leo was unable to comment to his brother, instead went into investigation mode since he might find some clues on why there of all places. A good area to start was not inwards, but what was behind him as he made his way to the front door. However, when he reached it as he first intended was to open it to take a look, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the impression he shouldn't dare nor go through it on top of it.
As for why this imagery invaded his mind, he couldn't put his finger on it yet gave up the search to that mystery diving back to the original one and instead focus his efforts on another option instead. He tilted his head to his right seeing the gothic window, it would be as efficient as the door and it didn't give him the danger alarm which would pound against his skull over just thinking to go near it. The window to his amazement had not one spec of dust, making it very easy for him to peer out into the unknown. To his dismay what he had expected to find was actually there, proving he did not fail on his attempts to guide his brothers after all, though it did raise many questions. Such a question was, when did the Volperhart building become located in the middle of the gray forest and not New York?
"We are here," Leo said reluctantly. His brother's eyes were on him and he sighed, "That is the grey forest. I must have been in a room that we have never been in, that is why I didn't connect this building to that room."
"That could be a possibility," Donnie nodded, "If that is so, how is it that this place still exists... or did this building held far darker secrets than we thought we had understood of it the first time around?" Donnie questioned looking around then back to his brothers.
"Then what does this mean?" Mikey asked warily.
"I'm sorry Michelangelo, I wish I had something to even start explaining what is going on, but the one thing I do know for sure, is that we need to find that study and the book," Leo insisted, turning towards the stairs, then he slowly allowed his eyes to follow them up towards the unknown.
"So where to Leo?" Raph let out a low growl as he came up next to the older brother.
Leo stared up into the gloom before them, biting his lip, as he agreed that was a good question, where do they start? With a sigh, Leo had the itching feeling it was a 'simple said than done' scenario to find the book. Who knows how big the place really was and the fact he had no clue in the first place that the study he was in was part of this horror house, he had no idea where it would be or what staircase, the left or the right was the correct path to take.
"I..." Leo paused, feeling helpless and useless for this part, yet knew acting like he had a clue was worse than stating he didn't. "I wish I knew Raph... Even so, we're better off to agree on which direction we should take the right or the left. A group decision would be wise at this juncture. I strongly believe we shouldn't even bother wasting our time with the study we have been in before in our world, I doubt it has changed, we need to go up and find the room in question from there.."
As he predicted, though wish he was wrong, it was simpler said than done, to find the study that he had described to his siblings, as the building was no short of a description of a labyrinth. He couldn't count how many times he had been separated from his brothers and sadly finally finding the place, they were two turtles short.
It took Donnie finding a fake book in a room full of bookshelves that open a passageway to the room, and to their turtle luck it didn't open up some trap door under Don's feet, which sadly is exactly what happened to both Mikey and Raph twelve rooms ago, and the worst part neither Donnie nor he could repeat the event to follow them. After so many attempts it was fruitless and they decided to press on in hopes they will all meet up with each other in the end.
He strongly knew they would eventually since he would annoyingly admit this was at least the tenth time it happened, being separated that is. No two events were put in motion, in the same manner, making it impossible to avoid, as each event that unfolded or triggered, they always winded up thrown in different directions and finding each other to have it happen yet again. It was frustrating to say the least and it was becoming a common theme to them, that all four brothers began suspecting it was like the mansion was playing with them. At one point in time during this constant hindrance, Donnie pointed out it did make sense now how this building was constructed as a maze, to a point that is, reminding them all on how the one in the real world had so many floors by what they could see from the exterior of the building, however when they entered there was only three sections of the building that were accessible and visible to them, the entrance, the cave under and the second floor.
This in many ways had always bothered him since he couldn't figure out where the other entryways where, it was probably constructed similar to this version in this dimension, with hidden doors and passages, which they never found or explored. Sure, this one had stairs leading to the sections they never knew existed, yet he theorized the rooms they never been in the real world version were probably the same, meaning the stairs wasn't the only way to venture through the building, making him question, was the stairs the right path to start with? Could they have avoided most the traps if they didn't take the bait for the plain obvious direction, would have there been a hidden door instead?
Leo took the first step into the large study casting his gaze around to make sure it was the right room, seeing the telescope, the door that brought him there in the first visit and even to his right was a ladder and a book spine face up on the ground, he was confident this was the place.
"This the room?" Donnie asked, seeing how Leo was reacting.
"Yeah..." he answered, making his way to the book picking it up seeing the page it fell on. It was the image of the Volpehart building, the thing that scared him the first time, "This is the book I found." he told his brother looking up seeing he had moved towards the large window.
Joining him Leo looked out taken back by the forest, this time around it wasn't shrouded by the night, now the sun was out illuminating it and it only proved his eyes were not playing tricks the first time around, it was true there was no color.
"A forest that is purely grey, no color... interesting," Donnie blinked, then looked at his hands and surroundings, "Yet there is color in this building, very interesting indeed."
"As I told you before on what I have seen, I saw the red balloon over there," he pointed to a patch of woods, "Don't know where it came from yet it was moving left to right and disappeared behind the trees, I think someone was chasing it."
"Wait! What? You never mention seeing any living being Leo," Donnie cant his head at his brother, who only shrugged.
"Don't know, just the impression I got. Though I have to admit I did see a flash of green yet never made out what it was from. But that balloon there was something strange about it-"
"Other than a red balloon in a bleak world, moving around in a forest unattended and I will take it there was no wind to explain its movement?"
Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "No wind as you stated, I saw no other movement, but that was not the strange part, it was... I don't know Don... that balloon felt sad... tragic even..." Leo trailed off, slowly being consumed by a deep dark sorrow on just talking about it. He couldn't dismiss this image in his head that someone was chasing it, not knowing what he was chasing... and now that individual was gone, whatever that exactly meant he couldn't even start to piece it together with an answer if there was one.
"So the book?" Donnie asked, placing his hand on Leo's shoulder pulling him from his depression that was bubbling up and consuming him.
"Right," Leo snapped out of it and handed the book to Donnie, in turn, his brother took it towards a table that had some chairs. They both sat down while Donnie started to investigate the book's contents by flipping through the pages. There was so much on the mansion that it made Leo's eyes sting and he had to leave the table to look around to see if he could find something else of interest.
"Okay, I think I understand a bit more about what is going on with this building and this dimension," Donnie started, "We both know the story about C.F. Volpehart, how he took the meteorite spear before the natives could slay the alien demon, and created the building, wealth and power that came with it as his reward for his dark deed. That very event affected this dimension like a ripple in water you can say, the energy from it transferred to this one and the building he built in our dimension, this building built itself alongside the one in our world, established by a link between them, ours, the physical version and this the spiritual version. Its purpose was to feed that monster energy from both worlds to help aid it to gain more influence of men's greed, if it wasn't for C.F. Volpehart actions, this dimension wouldn't have been pulled into the Necro Monsters reach."
"So our two dimensions were connected by one action and so what does that mean when we destroyed the monster in ours, does it still lurk here having a place to retreat if it's physical body was destroyed?" Leo asked and Donnie only bit his lip not sure of the answer.
"Sorry Leo, I have no idea, the book only talks about how this place exists, but I wonder who wrote it?" he looked up and Leo placed his chin in his hand, wondering the same question.
Could it have been Volpehart? If he was the individual that put this into motion the events that created a version of his building in this world, did he know of its existence? Did he come here too, trapped between both worlds? Or was there another involved, another victim of the beast, and to be trapped here as Vopehart was enslaved in their dimension?
"There are too many questions," Leo hissed walking towards the window looking out, "Are the attacks on me from the spirit of that demon, casting from this dimension over the fact I killed its physical body?"
"It's a possibility," Donnie answered reluctantly.
Did you really kill it?
Leo turned around to eye his brother, "What did you say?"
"It's a possibility," Donnie repeated himself, unsure why Leo was acting so paranoid.
"No after that," Leo insisted as Donnie shrugged.
"Leo I didn't say anything after that," Donnie admitted seeing the rising anxiety building up in his brother, "Leo what did you think you heard."
Leo's eyes drifted away, wondering if he was just hearing things or this place was starting to get to him. He was best to end it there and convince his brother there was nothing wrong and move on.
"It's nothing," Leo chuckled lightly, turning towards the window, casting his gaze out as he froze seeing something with color standing amongst the trees.
It was in the distance yet he could make out the details.
It was a mutant turtle wearing a blue mask, yet he wasn't a copy of himself, very different in body frame and features, it had red markings on its face followed by yellow similar shape markings on his arms and legs. The aura was dark hovering around the blue mask turtle that just stared at him in defeat, sadness, and regret, then suddenly the turtle's expression changed to horror as he reached out and Leo realized in time avoiding the attack from behind. That was what the other turtle was trying to warn him of.
If it wasn't for the reflection cast on the window from the attacker Leo would have been a goner, he had only a moment to react, moving to the side avoiding the blade that would have struck him on the right shoulder. He turned around quickly, then gasp in surprise, as his eyes cast upon the enemy, finding himself choked up by the red-eye turtle that was him in every detail with one exception, he was absent of color. He was unnatural, made up of hues of grays.
The doppelganger smirked at his confusion slashing his katana once again towards his head now and it was luckily for Leo when entering this dimension he was allowed to bring his own gear along to this adventure. Quickly he unsheathed his sword to block the next deadly blow, falling into a game of strength and will, to prevent the blade from beheading him.
The dark version of him amusingly laughed at this game, while Leo snarled at the fake, entering a fierce dance over life and death, deep in wonder as he moved around the room in attempts to find an advantage against his foe, what of Donnie, where was his brother?
To his dismay he heard the answer, the echoing sounds of wood clashing against wood and in the corner of his eye, he witnessed the horrifying sight of his brother trying to defend himself from another Donatello whose coloring was messed up as well. There wasn't just a double of himself as it came apparent, and this one as his own was hell-bent to defeat the original.
"Who are you!" Leo demanded, putting his full strength to end his struggle and was able to backflip to put some distance to his double.
"You of course!" the thing crackled like a broken stereo as it dashed at him once again starting a dance between them of blades, skills, strengths and wills, pitted against each other.
Everything Leo did, he soon came aware it could do as well, it was a perfect match between themselves that came down to the wire on who would make the first mistake, who would fold before the other?
This was worse than that time when he had to fight against a robotic version of himself, which was resolved by the brothers switching weapons and opponents to defeat the defective copycats.
He wasn't sure such a trick would work yet again, he wished the other two were there, even so, that was too much to ask he figured. He had to work with what he had and slowly made his way towards Donnie, they were both in a tough spot between a rock and a hard place, and if it kept up he feared they would fold before the enemy.
"Don," Leo struggled to get out almost getting a blade to his side as he back up quickly only to twist to block the other incoming sword, the dance was getting intense and the worse part he was starting to feel it in his body or was that soul? Either way, his opponent wasn't showing any signs of giving up or stress from the fight at hand. He wondered how long he had to keep this up until he was too weak to continue?
"Kind of busy here," Donnie barked, then let out a yelp as he was struck across the shell by a bo staff.
"Shell, Don!" Leo shouted out, as the double hissed at him in amusement.
"Worry about your own battle, you will fall this time Leonardo and you will be his," the double mocked and Leo narrowed his eyes at him, seeing in the corner of his eye the other double hovering above his brother about to make the final strike with its bo staff.
"No! You will not defeat either of us!" Leo growled seeing an opportunity and moved to his right towards a table that had the book and others. Leo avoided the striking blade and grabbed the books and chucked it at the double's head that didn't see that move or comprehend how to counter it. The doppelganger taking by surprise being hit by the hard books directly in the head lost its balance and fell to the ground. With not a moment to lose Leo dashed towards the imposter brother and rammed his blade into its admen as the fake's eyes widen in surprise.
Not stopping Leo then kick the thing away and grabbed Donnie's arm pulling him up. "Come on!" he ordered as Donnie tried to follow with Leo half dragging him to the exit they came from, the bookshelf entrance.
Exiting the room Leo found the trick book and made the shelf close before either double came after them. He only hoped the only lever for the door was on their side as he aided his brother to exit the room.
"We need to find the others, are you okay to walk on your own Don?" Leo asked to have Donnie nod.
"Yeah, my energy is back, when he got me I felt like all my energy was sucked out of me and I couldn't move anymore," Donnie terrifyingly explained, not liking how that felt or wanted to experience it again.
"Great..." Leo hissed, not realizing how the tables were unfair when it came to facing the doubles.
"Leo let's head towards the entrance of the building if we have doppelgangers then there is a high chance so does Mikey and Raph, if they had any sense they would head to the entrance too," Donnie explained, "We might even find them on the way, either way staying here is suicide."
"Agree and hopefully they are okay and are heading back, if they can..."
They rush forward winding their way towards the starting, with no luck finding the other two as they did so. With the hanging doubt over his head, Leo feared maybe this was a bad decision on his part, what if they were in danger? Maybe he should be searching for them instead of making assumptions, it wasn't like the fakes have caught up to them of yet and they had the opportunity to try to look for the other two.
This weighing on the leader, Donnie was not blind over it, as he tried to reassure Leo that his choices up to this point were the right ones considering under the circumstances, "They are probably near the entrance."
"I hope-" Leo started, then let out a yelp when he felt air under his feet, did he just hit a trap? Of all the things he couldn't believe his turtle luck, the one good part if one can perceive it as so, he wasn't alone for he heard Donnie stress out his surprise and they were both falling down some dark hole. Then suddenly to some relief, though in many ways it wasn't since they feared where they would end up, a light had open under them as they continue to fall and familiar voices rose as they entered a room from the ceiling.
"I got Leo!" Raph's voice barked with Mikey stating after he has Donnie.
Two strong arms caught him in mid-air, recognizing them to belonging to his brother Raphael and they both plummeted to the ground. With a thud and many moans that came after Leo hissed sitting up and rubbing the back of his head as he could hear a low warning growl rumbling beneath him. Looking down Raph's shell was there and the brother was flat against the ground.
"Sorry," Leo let out quickly getting off of the muscular brother, seeing not far from him Mikey standing there on his own two feet with Donnie in his arms all proud he made the landing. Donnie had his eyes narrowed in embarrassment at the little brother and this humiliating display while demanding Mikey to let him down already, informing the kid brother he had made his point and stop showing off.
With a devilish smirk, Mikey raised Donnie up in the air like some trophy and empathize "Tada~!"
Then accidentally dropped the poor brother to the ground with a thud, who in turn sourly darted his head towards Mikey, "Smooth move…" he growled.
"Okay, you two, cut it out," Leo rolled his eyes then focus on Raph, "I'm happy that you two are okay," Leo said in relief than just at the moment came aware of where they were, looking around then up, where he had fallen from. The trap sent them right back to the entrance and if it wasn't for Raph and Mikey's efforts he and Donnie would be in worse shape than some bruised pride.
"Yeah, no thanks to those freaks," Raph grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off and then growled towards Mikey for showing off. Once the red mask brother saw his perfect landing Mikey lent out a hand for Donnie to get back to his own two feet.
"Freaks?" Leo tilted his head in wonder, yet deep down knew the answer.
"Some dudes that look just like us, fight like us, yet appeared they step out of some fifty's black and white movie," Mikey explained.
"Shell we barely got away from them," Raph admitted insulted that he had to run.
"The same thing happened to us," Donnie brought up, "If Leo didn't think fast, I would have been a goner, we had to run for it since the stakes were against us."
"Same here," Mikey nodded, not feeling so bad now for the retreat that he had to force Raph to take.
"I don't know what they are, but they showed up after we found out more about this place," Leo started as both two brothers looked at him eagerly to hear. In a short version, Leo explained, telling them the monster they had defeated might not be after all, as its soul could be there as he only destroyed the physical body.
"Shell, of course it wasn't that simple," Raph snarled, then his eyes slowly travelled towards the center of the room, the entrance to the chamber below where they encounter the alien creep the first time.
"We have no choice," Leo followed Raph's eyes, then towards the tapestry that hidden the button for the stairways down.
Hearing his brothers' complaints yet knew they understood there was no other option and Leo made his way to the tapestry.
He moved his hand to the wall-hanging taking a corner that revealed the button and then suddenly something caught his attention near the entrance door. His other brothers talking to each other watching the stairs to make sure the doubles didn't show up, didn't hear the knocking on one of the gothic windows.
Leo flashed a look overseeing the turtle he saw before now up close and he wasn't anything like him, and the red markings he thought he saw before were evident, there were two red long streaks going to a point on both eyes, his black, purple eyes showed fear and remorse as he was pointing towards the entrance door, shaking his head at Leo for daring to press that button. The turtle tried to speak out yet Leo couldn't hear him, as the blue mask turtle slammed his hand next on the window, now trying to get Leo to go for the entrance door instead.
Leo about to open his mouth to ask the turtle a question, yet wasn't sure if he could hear him since he couldn't hear the turtle, Mikey's voice called to him, "Hey Leo are you going to push it already?"
"I..." Leo turned his head to Mikey then back to the window shocked to see the turtle was now gone and a message that was slowly fading away was written on the glass like the turtle blew his hot breath on it and left the message before leaving.
LH said the door! Don't go down! It's not the way out!
Leo paused, blinking at the message that made little sense. He was about to comment to his brothers yet suddenly he jumped, feeling Donnie's hand on his shoulder and pressing the button to open the passage below, "Leo I know this is hard to face it once again but we don't have time to have second thoughts."
"But the message," Leo insisted pointing to the window.
"What message?" Donnie asked. The leader looked back and saw it had faded away with no evidence of its existence.
Biting his lip Leo shook his head and turned towards his brothers, "Sorry it was a trick of the light, let's get this over with," he walked towards the now revealed passage feeling the skin on his arms prickle and bump up in fear.
He didn't want to do it, yet he couldn't back away now.
Taking a breath and casting his gaze upon his brothers face's that were showing signs of regret and doubt he looked one more time towards the window just to feel worse when a strike of lightning, he assumed since the outside illuminated abruptly, made visible to the naked eye what appeared to be a handprint on the window, one that he assume belong to the turtle he felt deep down his name was too Leonardo.
"Let's do this," Leo insisted descending to the depths below, followed by his brothers.
Reaching the bottom Leo shuddered, seeing the passageway that was the same as the one in his world to every detail, with at the end a circular door leading to the main chamber.
The door had a pyramid on it with an all-seeing eye on the top with four tentacle looking shapes on both sides. He stood there staring at the door, then towards his brothers, starting to wish he had the meteor spear, that is if it even existed in that dimension.
Donnie raised an eyebrow at the door, then towards Leo as he bit his lip, "We were just talking about this, before we showed up Raph and Mikey did look for the spear in the study that we first got it from in our world and they couldn't find it."
"I figured as much it might not exist or its inside," he admitted taking a step forward as the door started to glow red, with only one blade in hand since the other was in the Donnie double, Leo's eyes search for any movement, of the undead variety. No shadows moved and seeing nothing out of place, that was at least one lucky break, the door started to open.
"Here we go-" Leo started to inform his brothers, then unexpectedly, his world was invaded with a bright light, which he had to shield his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes again, he jerked in fright not seeing the entrance of the chamber, instead, a fleshy wall and he was sitting on something moving and pulsing under him.
His eyes trailed down as his heart started to race, he was in a pod?
How did he get in it?
Leo struggled with the restraints that bind him in this living prison, he was able to free his arms and legs and reach for his blades, that he came aware he had both… not just the one…
Armed, he slashed at the skin wall as it split open, allowing him to flee the pod. Once free he quickly took his bearings, as expected, living this once before, he found himself in a room full of pods that were dark inside for the exception of four.
He turned around quickly trying to make any sense on what was going on, did they get captured that quickly? Knowing he couldn't stand there debating this he rushed for the nearest pod cutting into it, to find Mikey strapped down and was acting like he was having a nightmare.
Upon awakening him Mikey jerked awake looking at his brother in confusion.
"Leo... what..." Mikey whimpered taking in slowly what was around him.
"I don't know," Leo admitted moving away from Mikey and going to the next pod that had Donnie, who in turn was just as bewildered on where they were, asking what happened and weren't they just going to enter the chamber. The eldest could only nod and went for the next pod that housed Raph.
The questions swirled in his head from his terrified brothers and then he stopped them all from continuing as his eyes slowly moved towards the last pod in question.
Who was in the last pod?
Leo not willing to waste time debating or theorizing, that would come soon from his siblings as well, he took the initiative to find out the simplest way he could think of as he made an entrance to the pod. The knocked out individual catching them all off guard, all four turtles gasp in disbelief.
"Ryan?"
"Leo how the shell can that be Ryan! There is no fucken way he should be in this dimension," Raph asked.
"I... don't know," Leo answered, then turned toward Donnie who only shrugged with no explanation either.
Leo flashed a look back at Angel's brother, then bit his lip, "We need to get him out of here before we deal with that alien demon, he will only get in the way," Leo insisted helping Ryan with his restraints that start a déjà vu scenario.
The human's reaction was the same as before and to the brothers' surprise they responded to him in the same manner as the first time they went through this, word by word, not missing a beat unsure why they were doing this nor what was happening.
Ignoring it Leo order them to leave just too fully be engulfed with the past, repeating the event once more.
They tried to escape, have a run in with the beast that tried to stop them like before and then like a river, Leo and brothers followed the echoing steps of the past and found himself standing before it with the meteorite spear that they just happen to find in the same exact spot in the last run through, with this demon waiting for Leo to do his part?
As before, the beast made attempts to take over Leo, yet Leo won over its mind games and defeated it.
The part that came next made all their worlds go upside down when they exit the underground passage, they not long after found Angel upstairs and still forced to play their part, they were unable no matter what go off script.
Mikey asked Angel in the study, the study that had only one set of stairs to it now, where the old man was, finding out he stood over his ashes. Mikey reacted in disgust and horror and then some words were exchanged as they left the building back to their New York.
There was no grey forest beyond the building's door and Leo noted it wasn't showing through the gothic windows either when they were making their exit.
The event with every detail to memory had played out, it wasn't until after they were safely at home that each felt they had control and entered the lab to have some privacy, to discuss and figure out what just happened.
"What the shell was that!" Raph yelled flying his arms out in anger and fear mixed together as each brother sat there trying to comprehend all events that led to this moment.
"I... I don't know," Donnie looked up in his own fear, "We just relived the moment we defeated that beast and I don't know about any of you, but I couldn't do anything different than the first time."
"Same," both Leo and Mikey answered.
"So are we still in that dimension, for I see no damn grey forest Don," Raph demanded.
"I think we left when we open the door in the chamber and found ourselves in the pods," Donnie hesitantly answered.
"So what, we were in the pods the whole time?" Leo asked as Donnie only shrugged, getting up and picking up his tablet that told him the date that was the same day they defeated the alien devil.
"Or we are still..." Donnie leaned against his desk looking at it and his tablet.
"What?" Raph came up to him, "What the shell do you mean." Raph placed his hand on Donnie's shoulder that was smacked away from Donnie's own hand, who narrowed his eyes at his brother.
"I don't know just stating what I can see and nothing else makes sense! This could be just another simulation to make us think we are free!" Donnie growled and Raph stood there with his arms cross.
"Why is that? Where do you get that idea, other than us playing the repeat the day game?" Raph challenged.
"For one reason, the very one that has been bothering me for some time! Why was Leo able to free himself from its hold, huh? When there is no evidence, not one person could or had done so in the past? You would think Volpehart would have mentioned it at one point or another! Then it comes right back to the question why only Leo, have you ever asked yourself that?" Donnie yelled out in his own insecurity. The doubt ran deep and he couldn't ignore it, especially now of all times. The days after the first incident was nothing more than a trick from that thing… their lives were some simulation, not reality, and all the facts did point to that conclusion and he wasn't the only brother coming aware of this.
"I..." Raph backed off looking at his hand that felt real, but they did so before too.
"We can't do this," Leo finally spoken up, seeing his brothers' minds starting to unwind, losing touch of reality and hope.
"Then what should we do then fearless? Donnie is right, what if the first time it was a trick and this time it's just another fucken trick!" Raph demanded.
"Raph, I don't have the answers for if it is or not, but to survive regardless, we have to act like this is our world, our dimension! Regardless if it's evident that before now, was just an illusion to take us down," Leo told them, as his brothers looked at him doubtfully.
"Look," Leo took a deep breath, holding it for a second, before clenching his fist and continuing, "There is no way we can tell this isn't the real deal, sure what just happened at the building was out of our control, but that could have been mere suggestions from the other reality, making us act out the same without realizing it."
"It's possible for us being convinced on the current events we had no control. In reality of the situation did in a sense, being overwhelmed by our unconscious, that guided us to act in the same manner as before to reassure us this wasn't an illusion or trick," Donnie nodded.
"So this is the real deal then?" Mikey asked from his seat.
"How can we be sure?" Raph asked next.
"We can't," Leo admitted, "but, if we dare to act like it's a trick another illusion to play with us, that could be the fine line of life and death for us all. We can't start to go around acting this isn't real and end up making a grave mistake that could end our own lives or if this is an illusion giving that thing the opportunity to take us down."
"So you suggest we continue living like it never happened?" Donnie asked.
"No, not quite. By no means do we forget what had happened and use that to evaluate our lives. If we see any repetition of what happened before such as that thing trying to attack any of us, we inform each other only. No April, Casey or Master Splinter should know about this, for as you all recall it was only us that went to face the monster in the first place."
"Is that wise, to disinclude them?" Mikey tilted his head in guilt to do that to his family.
"We are only going to drop the subject and not mention it to them and continue living as we would have and trust them otherwise. They are our families and pushing them away in fear this is an illusion wouldn't be a benefit to any of us," Leo stated getting a nod from Donnie.
"It makes sense, we continue to live our lives and trust that we all are open enough this time around to bring up any glitches in the matrix per say," Donnie smirked getting a moan from his other brothers.
"Of course Donnie had to drag SyFy into it..." Raph grumbled, then sighed, "Fine I get it, I don't want to push Casey away to find out later he is the real deal and I was just paranoid."
"That is no life dude," Mikey agreed, "I hope it is over.. but Leo what if it isn't?"
Leo leaned back, holding his chin deep in thought, then looked up, "Then we do it all over again and find a way out, even if we have to do it so many times there seems there is no hope of escaping its grasp, for we are brothers and being together we are a force to be reckoned with. And like shell we will lose that hope! We will not give up until we are free and no matter what, we will not let that thing make us not live our lives, is that clear?"
Each brother looked at each other then nodded, "Sure thing," then started to walk out of the room, with the exception of Donnie and Leo.
Donnie with terms with this, turned towards Leo, "One thing Leo that is bothering me."
"What is that?" Leo tilted his head at his brother.
"You were able to break control when you faced it again, is that a sign we are free or not?"
Leo remained silent, "I don't know, but I do know I will not dwell on it until we see proof of it otherwise."
"I see," Donnie nodded, then jumped when Leo placed his hand on his shoulder looking into his brown eyes.
"What is the other thing that is on your mind," the older brother caught on as Donnie shyly looked away.
"Who is LH?" Donnie asked the question that wasn't only on his mind, but in Leo's thoughts as well since that name kept on popping up, however, there was no answer and oddly it was like it stuck in the back of his head clawing at him to remember as if he had forgotten something very important.
Who... was LH? And why were the mysterious initials so significant to them?
FIN
~Epilogue~
He sat there with his old tired eyes staring into the void of his own thoughts, as machines all around repeatedly beeped and made other sounds in rhythm. Nothing short of being white noise to him now as he kept his eyes on the multiple screens before him studying the results. The charming beeps that would make his heart jump with joy any other day, he was faced with his depression as he felt once again his progress was lost and he was at the beginning of the maze for the hundredth time, that he kept count.
A heavy sigh came from him as he let his tired head flop dramatically into his large scaly hands.
"They are not free..." he said with a heavy heart feeling failure once more.
"You can't keep beating yourself up LH," a female voice told him as his eyes drifted to the warm welcoming face.
"Angel..." he greeted the middle age woman that stood there staring at him then towards the center of the large room, which was the size of five stadiums, occupied by massive equipment and the main subject encased in a cage that kept it in a state of sleep in the center of it all.
"You have been down here for twenty-two hours now LH, you should get some sleep," she kindly suggested as he sighed looking away from those eyes of hers and towards the elephant in the room.
"I can't, after thirty years I made a breakthrough," Leatherhead started, getting up from his seat and walking sluggishly towards the cage, with eyes on the Necro Monster and his family trapped in pods that were fused to the beast's body.
"Then they can wait one more day," Angel insisted, standing beside him eyes on the turtles that tried to save her brother, yet got damned instead.
Her brother did survive and escaped, yet when Leo confronted the monster he couldn't kill it as the thing took the hit from the meteorite spear that only made it more powerful and it consumed Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo to use their bodies to replace it's old and broken down one.
However, it wasn't that simple, since first, the alien demon had to destroy their souls and minds to take over their bodies, enhance they were stuck in pods attached to the beast itself.
They would have been goners, if she didn't go back to find Master Splinter and Leatherhead who with April, Casey and a few other friends from the Justice Force contained the monster and trapped it in a cage where it slowed down the progress of the thing from devouring the turtle brothers.
What they found out that day the monster was dying and needed a new body to continue it's conquering of their world and others, a human body wasn't suitable, but the brother's being mutants were ideal and it wanted them no matter what.
With the aid of Karia and Chaplin, Leatherhead was able to make this facility to find a way to separate the beast from the brothers.
It wasn't as simple as cutting open the pods and removing them since they shared a telepathic link and to sever it in other normal means would kill the brothers or worse make the beast win and able to take over the turtle bodies.
Thirty years and not one had aged, they physically were the same as they were back then, while Angel and Leatherhead had the years affect them.
"What if," Leatherhead question having Angel's warm hand on his arm.
"They survived this far Leatherhead with your help, you even said there is still brain activity in the four brothers and they are still intact, that bleeping as you explained is proof that you will save them, but no good will come if you collapse by exhaustion when they need you the most," she informed him as two men took over the station to monitor the life signs of the boys and to keep an eye on anything indicating they were losing the fight.
"I know, but... I..." he looked up looking at their sleeping faces in guilt and shame, that he hasn't saved them yet.
"Come on, April and Shadow will be over later to see you, can't be a cranky alligator now, right?" Angel smiled as he gave her a sigh.
"Of course, the Jones family, I guess I should get some sleep or Mrs. Jones will have my hide otherwise," he admitted following the human woman. "Though," he once again brought up the subject, "I don't see why you haven't found yourself a-"
She shot him a sharp look, "I'm too busy taking care of you LH to worry about a boyfriend besides your the only man in my life I need and can handle," she chuckled getting an eye roll from him.
"You make it sound like I'm a handful-"
"You are," she burst out, pulling him to the door to exit the room, not before he paused and look back.
"I will find other ways to reach you guys," Leatherhead said to himself and to them in his head, "I will make sure you can defend yourself against it, I will find a way I promise… I will not lose hope."
FIN