The Evil Inside
Author's Note
Luckily it hasn't been as long as last time since I've updated, only 4 months but that's still a long time. However, I've made an extra-long chapter to make up for it, enjoy.
Chapter 6: Damaged Reflections
Mikey's POV
I blinked away the sleep in my eyes and yawned as I stared at the screen before me. I am so tired.
"I just want to go to sleep already." I complained to myself. I yawned again.
Flashback
"Mikey, no discussion." Leo stated. "You can't sleep until we know how to stop it, you know what'll happen if-".
"Yeah, yeah. Demon, blah, blah, fight, blah-" I moaned, bored of the constant lectures.
"Sorry buddy, but you're just gonna have to deal with it." Donnie responded to my complaint and I pouted. Ugh, you don't think I realised that, Donnie.
"Come on Mikey, why don't we go play some video games? That'll keep your mind offa it." Raph offered, shoving the controller into my hands.
With my head lowered, I shuffled my way over to the TV and dropped onto the couch.
"How about … COD?" Raph asked as he rummaged through our box of video games.
"Yeah sure." I sighed.
End Flashback
Raph went to be at 3 am and I have been relentlessly playing this game since then, trying to stay awake.
The soft sound of footsteps alerted me that Leo was up. Wait Leo's up, what time is it? I looked at the clock to find it was 7 am.
"7 am?! I thought it had only been an hour since Raph had left. I guess playing this game did stop me from falling asleep." I whispered to myself.
"Morning Mikey." Leo greeted as he left the bedroom area.
"Huh? Oh, morning Leo." I stuttered. I just can't concentrate.
"Where's Raph?" Leo asked as he looked around the living room.
"Oh, Raph went to bed 4 hours ago." I answered, while I wiped my eyes and turned on the couch to face Leo.
"Mikey, you're not supposed to be unsupervised. I'm gonna have to speak to Raph about that later." Leo paused and then headed towards the kitchen. "But, good job at staying awake."
"Thanks, Leo." I mumbled ad a small smile slid on my face. It was hard work too. I stood and followed Leo out into the kitchen. Might as well make breakfast, the others will be up soon.
Leo grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the table.
"Hey, Leo?" I asked. "What'd you want for breakfast?"
"I dunno Mikey, it's your choice." Leo said after taking a sip of his water.
"I feel like making pancakes." I thought out loud. Yeah, with syrup and blueberries.
"Sounds good Mike." Leo answered as I grabbed a bowl and the ingredients needed. I heard a tired groan from the doorway and saw, out of the corner of my eye, Raph enter and slump down into the chair next to Leo. He greeted us with a sleepy 'morning'.
"Have a nice sleep, Raph?" Leo asked sarcastically with a firm look on his face.
"Get off my back, Leo." Raph growled while rubbing his face. "You don't need to lecture me. I already know what I did."
"Really Raph? Cause I don't think you do." Leo accused. "Raph, you were supposed to stay with Mikey last night. You know the rules! What if he had fallen asleep?!" Great Raph literally just walked into the room and they've already started a fight.
"Leo I-" Raph started to counter, already aggravated by the lack of sleep.
"To be fair, Leo." I cut in as I flipped a pancake. "I told Raph to go to bed. He kept passing out on the couch loads. At first he refused but I was finally able to convince him because his tiredness was clouding his judgement."
"But still-" Leo started, but I cut him off.
"Dude, I'm awake, it's fine. Raph didn't want to go to sleep okay? I just managed to convince him to go to his room." I half-shouted, grouchy from my all-nighter.
"Okay, Mike. Calm down." Raph started as he relaxed back into his chair.
"I know, I'm sorry guys but being up all night makes you tired as you can tell and I just really want to sleep." I admitted, rubbing my face.
"We know, Mikey." Leo answered and was about to carry on until Donnie stumbled in and took a seat next to Raph.
I grabbed two mugs and made some coffee. While the water was boiling, I placed the pancakes on a plate and into the oven to keep them warm.
Pouring the coffee into the mugs, I handed one to Donnie whilst I sat down with the other. As I took a sip of my coffee, I glanced over to my brothers to find that they were all staring at me.
"What?" I asked as I lifted my mug to take another sip.
"Mikey, you're drinking coffee." Leo stated, somewhat shocked.
"Yeah, so?" I answered as I put down my mug.
"You hate coffee, ever since the incident of 2011." Raph commented. Oh yeah, when I spat out coffee onto Master Splinter because I didn't like the taste. Oh well, guess I like it now.
"Yeah well, when you can't go to sleep, you've gotta do the things you can to stay awake." I replied and stood from my chair, making my way over to the oven to get out the pancakes.
"Mikey, we know it's hard but-" Donnie started.
"Yeah I know dude, I'm just getting used to it is all." I answered but as I turned around to face the other with the pancakes, I started to feel dizzy.
"Mikey, are you okay?" A muffled sounding Leo asked.
I began to sway and suddenly gravity pulled me to the ground. The plate smashed and before I hit the floor, I felt someone's arms catch me before I blacked out.
A white light in the centre of a black room blinded me. No, not this place again.
"Alright Demon dude, where are you?" I asked. A cold breeze ran along my shoulder.
"Behind you." It answered and I spun around to face nothing. Claws raked down my right arm and I felt blood surface on the skin. I turned to the direction of the pain and there it stood with the creepiest, crazy smile on its face.
"Hello Michelangelo, how are you?" It greeted as it stalked forward and stopped 2 feet away from me.
I didn't answer, but instead took my nunchucks out of their holders and stepped into a fighting stance.
"No answer, huh? Thought you were the chatty one?" It commented, its sadistic grin growing wider.
"Dude, you used my brothers to fight us. The only reason you're here right now is to fight me and then use me against my brothers. How can you expect me to have a normal conversation with you!" I shouted, annoyed at his cocky attitude.
"Well, you see, Mikey." It started, exaggerating my name. "I like to get to know my victims first." It moved slightly closer to me and I backed away a few feet.
"As much as I love talking, I'm not so sure I enjoy speaking to an evil shadow demon." I replied as I started to spin my nunchucks.
I charged towards Demon, who just stood and smirked at me, and swung my nunchuck towards it. But just as it was about to make contact, it held its arm out and closed its clawed hand around my nunchuck. I watched in shock as it slowly disintegrated until it reached my hand, where a burning sensation caused me to drop its remains.
"You know, you're the last one. One last chance for your brothers to win, unlike the other times." It started, I looked at it in confusion.
"What do you mean, we won the other battles?" I asked.
"Technically yes but also no." It explained. "If you're brothers succeed in battle again today then they'll have to face me one more times but through an even harder challenge that could result in all of your souls being destroyed. You see, by losing one of the battles only one of you will be lost. However, by fighting the final battle there is a major risk of losing each and everyone one of your souls. And I, have never lost that final battle and I am thousands of years old."
"My brothers and I can beat you. We are not afraid to go into battle with you!" I shot back and a look of remembrance dawned on Demon's face and it grinned.
"Ah, fear. You were frightened by the appearances I gave your brothers." A shocked look came upon my face. How did it know that? "The red lifeless eyes; the grey death-like skin. I was in the room when you said that, Michelangelo. I also heard what your brothers were saying and thinking."
My other nunchuck started burning and I dropped it in shock. I watched as it somehow shattered like glass onto the floor. The emotion remained as I looked up and saw exact replicas of me surrounding myself, they were all grinning like maniacs. That shock turned into horror as they turned grey, their masks turned black and their eyes red.
The one to my left held a bloody sai and the one to my right held a stained and snapped boa staff. The one in front of me grinned as it held up a jagged, snapped katana. However, as I turned to the one behind me, I was horrified to see the bloody, crimson nunchucks clenched in my reflection's fists. It smiles maniacally and I stared at the blood dripping off its fangs and forming a small puddle on the floor.
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Leo's POV
I stared as Mikey's eyes suddenly shut and he fell to the floor. All three of us jumped out of our seats and Raph lunged forward to catch Mikey before he hit the ground.
"What the heck just happened?!" Raph shouted as Donnie took Mikey from Raph's arms and lowered his to the floor. We both watched as Donnie checked our brother's vital signs. He looked confused.
"What's wrong with him, Donnie?" I asked, panic gripping me at Donnie's expression.
"… Nothing." Donnie answered. Wait, nothing? "His vital signs are absolutely normal. I don't know what's wrong with him … unless …"
"Unless what Donnie?!" Raph half-shouted.
"Unless Demon's the one who caused it." Donnie stated and Raph swore under his breath.
"But how? I thought that it lured you asleep not made you pass out?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, but Leo." Donnie started. "When Demon fought you, you didn't fall asleep. You just passed out were you stood."
"Which means, that if Demon manages to take over Mikey, then we have to have a way to keep him under control." I continued and Donnie nodded.
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Mikey's POV
Frightened and desperate to rid myself of these reflections, I performed a roundhouse kick and each representation of me shattered like mirrors. Panting, I turned and saw Demon standing not too far away from me, laughing at my terror. An unfamiliar wave of anger flowed through me and I charged at Demon, pushing to the floor and pinning it to the ground.
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Leo's POV
"I'm not so sure about this." Donnie commented as we finished tying the last rope around the armrest of the chair. "I mean I know I agreed to using some form of method to secure him, and I still do, but I don't know if this is the right way to do it."
"Donnie, right now this is probably our best option." I began. "If he's Mikey we untie him but if he's Demon then we can figure out what to do from there."
"Fine, but I still don't like the thought of it." Don replied.
"Guys, look." Raph stated. "He's waking up."
Sure enough, Mikey's eyes opened slightly. He glanced at each one of us before lowering his head and looking at the rope.
"Ugh, my head. W-why am I tied up?" Mikey slurred and looked back at us, slightly more alert. He looked the same, no change in appearance like it was with us.
"Soooo." Raph said cautiously. "You're you?"
"Well … yeah." Mikey said drowsily. Oh thank God, he's okay.
"What happened with Demon?" Donnie asked.
Mikey's face scrunched as if he was trying to remember something. "I don't even know if I fought him. I can't remember anything." He shifted in his chair, trying to get comfortable. "Hey, could you dudes untie me? This is really uncomfortable."
Don looked at me as if silently asking for permission and I gave him a small nod.
"Sure, Mikey." Donnie replied to Mikey as he started untying the ropes to the chair.
Once finished, Don stepped back to allow Mikey room to stand up.
A quiet laughter arose from Mikey and we stared in horror and realisation of his plan. A wave of grey coloured his skin, shell and plastron and his mask faded to black. His head shot up and red eyes stared back at us.
"Grab him, guys!" I ordered. Raph lunged forward first but Demon kicked out its foot, winding and knocking Raph backwards.
Donnie went next but every punch he threw missed as Demon continued to dodge until it sweep-kicked Donnie's legs from beneath him, sending him to the floor.
I charged towards it but before I reached Demon, it grabbed a kitchen knife off the table and held it out in front of it, stopping my movements just as the blade touched my throat. I glared at Demon as it laughed once again. However, the laughter stopped and the smile left his face. It dropped the knife but immediately after, I felt a kick to the side of my head sending me to the floor. Dazed, my eyes barely focused on Demon as it stood in the doorway, a malicious grin creeping onto its face and the hysterical laughter that followed with it. I winced as a wave of pain shot through my head and my eyes shut. However, when I looked up again, Demon was gone and the lair door was open.
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Where is he?! Or … it? Oh, I don't know anymore! We just … we just need to find Mikey.
Immediately after Demon left, we scrambled to our feet and stumbled out of the kitchen. The lair door was open and as we ran through we noticed faint footprints layering the sewer floor. We followed them until it led to a ladder exiting the sewer and a jarred manhole cover above. From there we climbed out of the alleyway and onto the rooftops.
Now we are just hoping that we are going the right way.
I stopped suddenly as the sound of a rock hitting the ground came from behind me. I spun around and found that I was face to face with Demon.
"Boo." It whispered and sped off in the opposite direction, grinning like a cheshire cat.
"Guys!" I shouted as I sprinted after Demon. "Guys, he's right here!"
"We see him, Leo!" Raph answered as he and Donnie joined me. By this time, Demon had managed to gain an advantage by being 3 rooftops ahead of us but it had surprisingly stopped.
"Leo, this is the same rooftop where we first fought Demon when he was using you!" Donnie observed and he was right, it was the same rooftop.
"Demon." Raph growled as we stood at the edge of the rooftop, facing it. However, Demon was looking away from us in the middle of the rooftop with its head tilted to the sky.
"Have you ever noticed how beautiful the stars are?" Demon observed as it pointed its hand at the sky. "There are no stars in the spirit plane. It's just mist and basically dimness and nothing but hey, it's home."
"Shut up Demon and let's get on with this. You know we're gonna win. So you might as well give up now." Raph gloated while he took out his sais and stepped forwards.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Raphael but I'm positive Michelangelo will explain all of it to you after you've lost again." Demon smiled slightly while Donnie and I got out our weapons.
"Again?" Donnie questioned and Demon nodded back with a wide grin on its face. However, before we had a chance to question Demon further, Raph had already started sprinting towards it.
"Guess that means the fight's started." Donnie commented. We both nodded our heads to each other before charging into the fight to help our brother.
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Mikey's POV
My spiritual body was chained to the ground, Demon had won our battle. It was forcing me to watch my brothers fight it, they were winning but losing all the same. I have to help them, get them to leave.
With a pained groan, I tugged and pulled at the chains but nothing happened. I saw Demon punch Raph, giving him a bloody nose, and that same unfamiliar anger filled me again. I sucked the energy from Demon and transferred it to me. I tried pulling at the chain again and began to believe that my work was having no effect on the chains until I heard a loud snap. I let out an agonising scream and was blinded by a white light and my now heightened senses.
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Leo's POV
"Okay guys." I started. "Remember not to hurt it too much, it may be evil but it's still inside our brother's body and any pain we cause it, Mikey will experience too."
Me and Donnie were watching as Raph fought Demon, ready to step in if need be but knowing that this fight didn't need all of them at once. So far Raph hadn't landed a hit on Demon as Demon kept dodging all his attacks and not giving any out himself. That was until it blocked Raph mid-punch by holding its arm in front of its chest. It smiled maniacally at Raph, who was stunned being blocked instead of dodged, before it punched him in the face.
Raph stumbled backwards and held his hand to his bloody nose, panting. Donnie moved forward to intervene but I held a hand in front of his chest, stopping him. Raph needed to retaliate, this part of the fight was for Raph to do.
Suddenly, Raph lunged at Demon and threw a punch hitting it square in the jaw. Demon fell to the floor and didn't move.
"Wow, Raph." Donnie awed. "That was one heck of a punch."
"I don't think it's finished yet, look at its face." I observed and as I got a closer look, I saw that its face, Mikey's face, was scrunched up in pain and was sweating like hell. It suddenly gasped and immediately sat up, panting and looking panic-stricken.
Its appearance started to change.
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Mikey's POV
The pain was so hard to bare and I couldn't help but squint as I opened my eyes. Once I'd gathered my senses, I looked up to see my brothers staring at me suspiciously. A pang of betrayal went through me but I could understand their reasons for doubt.
"I-I did it? … I did it! I did it!" Hysterical, I repeated my chant over and over again as I stood up excitedly until someone interrupted me.
"Is it really you Mikey?" Donnie asked cautiously and just as I was about to answer, I felt my fingertips start to grow cold and knew I was losing control.
"Yeah! … yeah, it's me, Don." I answered. "But you guys have gotta go, you can't lose again!" The others looked at me in confusion.
"Demon said the same thing, what do you mean, lose? We won all the other battles?" Leo questioned.
"Well – I mean – I. Yeah we have lost the other battles. But look, dudes, I don't have enough time to fully explain." My hands turned cold and Raph took a step towards me. "No! … No, stay over there guys. I'm dangerous and unstable."
"It's gone, Mikey." Raph commented, rolling his eyes.
"It's not gone!" I shouted.
"Mikey, you're swaying." Donnie observed; every part of me was starting to feel cold except the area around my heart.
"Huh, oh yeah. But you need to listen to me, it's not gone. You need to leave!" They were the last words I said before my eyes shut, my heart grew cold and I was once again plunged into darkness and pushed to the back of my mind where all could do was watch the events unfold.
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Leo's POV
"Mikey!" I shouted as my brother fell to the ground once again that night.
"Hmm, he was more in control then you were Leo when that happened to you. Something must've been different." Donnie commented.
"Okay! What is going on?!" Raph shouted as we knelt next to Mikey. "I thought he beat Demon."
"Obviously not." Donnie stated and pointed to Mikey who had changed appearance. Demon suddenly kicked Raph in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and whipping out Mikey's nunchuck, it thrashed the wooden pole swiftly across mine then Donnie's face.
"How the hell did he do that?!" Demon shouted to itself, furious. "He had no control at all, it was only me. For god's sake, he was chained!"
"You know what to do guys." I said as we charged towards it. Me and Raph fought and distracted Demon while Donnie used his staff to swipe Demon's feet from beneath it. Demon fell to the floor, hitting its head against the ground. Raph reached down to take Mikey's nunchucks but as he touched the handles, Demon used a kick-up, hitting Raph straight in his face, whilst bringing itself back up to its feet.
"Ah, ah, ah." Demon teased, a wild smile on its face as it held the nunchucks over its shoulder.
I was about to retaliate but I saw a shadow move out of the corner of my eye. My brothers stepped forward to engage in the fight once again but I held my hand up, signalling for them to stop. Demon looked confused and the smile slid off his face as I observed my surroundings.
"Foot." I stated and straight after I said their name, we were surrounded.
"Ugh, why do they always have the worst timing?" Raph moaned as we observed the moves that could be made.
"Leo?" Donnie asked, unsure of who we were to fight. Demon or the foot.
"Be alert guys, but right now we need to get rid of these foot ninja." I ordered, sprinting into the fight.
"Truce!" I heard Demon shout.
"Truce?!" I shouted while dodging blows. "You want a truce?!"
"Just for now, yeah. While we get rid of these idiot mortals, then our fight will resume." Demon offered as it kicked one of the attackers sneaking up behind me. "So, do we have a deal?" It smiled holding out its hand.
"Fine." I finally agreed, shaking its hand. Its smile grew wider.
"Then, let's do this." It growled, pulling out Mikey's kusarigama chain. However, though, I watched horrified as it used the blade of the chain to stab and murder all of the foot in its way, laughing as it did so.
"We don't kill!" I shouted and Demon stopped and turned to me.
"Ah, but I'm not Mikey. I'll fight my own way thanks." It commented before charging off to continue the fight.
"I can't believe you made a truce with that thing, Leo?!" Raph growled. Stalking over to me as we defeated our last opponents.
"Well, would you rather us have to fight both enemies at the same time?" I countered.
"I would've preferred-" Raph was cut off by a loud scream from behind us.
"That was Demon." Donnie stated as he ran over to us. Looking over in the direction of the scream, we saw Demon pinned to the ground and a broken kusarigama under a foot ninja's boot. The smile that seemed to be permanent on its face was completely gone as it became engulfed by a grey smoke. The foot ninja backed away in fear as a white wolf with orange swirls down its legs emerged from the fog.
The foot ran, attempting to flee as the wolf chased then across the rooftop. Taking the rare opportunity, I sped towards the discarded nunchucks and snatched them off the ground. I handed one to Raph and we both smashed the handles beneath our feet. No scream followed the action.
A snarl made us look up and we saw the wolf approaching us.
"Why isn't it working?!" Raph shouted as we backed away, being sure to keep a tight grip on the weapons as we did so.
"I don't know!" Donnie replied.
The wolf began to sprint before it was tackled by a figure. As the figure stumbled to its feet, it revealed itself to be Splinter.
"Sensei!" We all shouted.
"My sons, where are the nunchucks?" Splinter asked urgently and I handed the weapons to him.
"It didn't work, sensei." I explained and Splinter looked up.
"That was because you did not break the right part." Sensei answered. I saw movement from behind me.
"Sensei, the wolf!" I warned and Splinter brought out a small but sharp knife, slicing the chains in half.
Demon screamed as its form changed back into Mikey's but just as the last remnant of it left, it smiled and began laughing through the pain, before passing out.
"Come, my sons." Sensei began. "We must go home, I have much to tell you." I picked Mikey up and we began our journey home.
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Mikey's POV
Ugh, my head. Wait! Demon … my brothers … sensei! I shot up from my bed into a sitting position but as I looked around, I saw that I was not in my bedroom but instead the infirmary and my family's eyes were all watching me.
"My son." Sensei greeted and I jumped up to hug him.
"Sensei." I whispered and snuggled into his kimono. I opened my mouth to speak again but was interrupted before I could start.
"There will be time for proper greetings later." Sensei stated. "I have news about Demon." Sensei had caught all of our attentions now and we looked towards him. "While with the Daimyo, I asked questions about Demon to see if he could provide any information. I found out that Demon is from the spirit plane and its sole purpose is to feed on souls. Demon chooses a group of close friends or family and picks one soul to destroy in the end, leaving the other souls mentally damaged. It is evil and had escaped its dark prison before coming here to wreak havoc. Daimyo had fought him once and that is how it ended up imprisoned."
"Wait." Donnie stated and we turned to look at him. "Demon said that we had lost all of the battles. Mikey, it said you would explain why."
I gulped. "Well, when I was fighting Demon, in the dream realm, it said how we were going to lose again and I asked why. It explained by saying that there would be five battles. One with each of us and the last, all of us. The difference is in the last battle all our souls will be taken if we lose whereas in the single battles only one will."
"Wait, is that why you told us to leave?" Leo asked and I looked down.
"Yeah, I didn't want you guys to get hurt and … well … um, can I go get a shower to wash off this blood, it was horrible having to watch that fight." Splinter nodded and I stood up and left, leaving my family to discuss the topic further.
I entered the bathroom and got in the shower after taking off my wraps, gear and mask. I scrubbed my skin raw until I was absolutely sure that the blood was gone before stepping out of the shower to dry myself off. I sighed as today's events really hit me. I killed all those foot ninja, they probably had families and … and I almost killed my brothers.
Sighing once again I looked up to the mirror above the sink and jumped back as I saw my reflection. Every inch of me was pitch black apart from my completely red eyes and gleaming white fangs, framed with a sadistic grin. My hands had claws for fingers and there was blood dripping from them and my fangs.
Paranoid, I quickly looked away from the reflection and to my own body. However, nothing had changed. I was still normal. Taking another chance, I decided to check the mirror again and saw my evil reflection was still there.
Suddenly, my reflection screamed and seemed as though it was going to break out of the mirror. In my shear panic, my reflexes kicked in and I punched the mirror. Tiny stings ran across my hand and I winced in pain as I looked at the now shattered mirror and my bloody, glass impaled hand. At least the reflections gone.
However, I heard a creepy, echoing laugh from behind me. I spun around and ended up face to face with Demon.
"Hello, Michelangelo." It sneered and like a vampire, it lunged forward and sunk its teeth into my neck. I screamed and brought my hand to the bleeding wound.
Demon was gone.
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Author's Note
Well there you have it, that was Mikey's turn. I apologize for anyone who might become annoyed at Mikey's chapter being longer than they're favourite characters'. Although Mikey's my favourite, that had nothing to do with the length of this chapter. Things just needed some explaining and I kept coming up with ideas for this chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please follow, favourite and review.
Wolfangel33 xx