Donnie watched in horror as Raph charged the dragon head on. Sure, he was angry too but what did Raph think he was going to accomplish? As expected, Raph got himself in trouble. Raph was the toughest of all them so watching his sweat and heavy breathing sent a pang of fear though Donnie's heart.
If it had been any other opponent at any other time Raph could've gotten out of the hold but Donnie could see his legs shaking underneath the giant, clawed hand. Donnie was a pacifist but looking down at Mikey and back at Raph, he amended his belief. Only non-psychopaths get mercy.
"So what's your choice? Play my game or die?" the dragon challenged.
Donnie saw Leo glance at Mikey leaning against his plastron. Mikey's face was a mask of pain, eyes squeezed shut, sweating and feverish. Donnie had gently set him this way so as to make sure the bite was below his heart. Donnie kept very still so as not to encourage the flow of the poison. Leo looked back up at Donnie. Donnie looked back.
I'm not making this decision for you, Leo. He thought. Leo sighed as if to respond.
"Alright. We accept your deal." Leo spoke with a hardness in his voice.
"Good." The dragon smiled displaying each of its massive fangs. "Not that you really had a choice." The dragon grinned wider.
"Now hold up you end of the bargain!" Leo demanded. The dragon chuckled. Donnie was really growing to hate the noise. It grated on his nerves more than Mikey in his lab.
"Of course. But first, I want you to understand the helplessness of your situation." The beast continued, "I want you to feel the pain of knowing that being alive is worse than death." It raised the staff slightly before a blast of light struck each turtle in the head.
With that, a shock of memories flooded Donnie's mind. He remembered yelling at Raph and Mikey to quiet down since his latest project required the utmost concentration. He couldn't focus with them yelling. Right as Raph tackled Mikey a portal suddenly opened in the middle of the lair. It was different from the Kraang portals in its circular and blue nature. The three brothers froze. Donnie's mind was running fast trying to figure out what it could be, what it's likely purpose was when Leo stepped out of the dojo probably to ask what had made them all go quiet when a clawed foot emerged from the hole.
Donnie grabbed his staff from where it leaned on the wall next to him, hearing the unsheathing of Leo's katanas and Raph's sais as the full creature emerged. The dragon stood tall, its angular head almost touching the ceiling. As it surveyed the room it let out a cackled.
"What do you want?" Leo's voice cut through the grating noise. The dragon had turned it's massive head with much interest as it regarded Leo. After a moment, it smiled. Without responding, it turned it's attention towards Mikey.
"I think I'll enjoy playing with you." It finally spoke. Mikey's eyes grew huge before narrowing.
"Gotta meet my friends first." He responded, nunchucks whirling. The dragon laughed, focusing the staff on the youngest brother. The center glowed blue before enveloping them all in a bright flash. The last thing Donnie remembered was the dragons voice echoing, "Run, run, run, little mutants." Its horrible laugh, punctuated the threat.
Donnie felt a crushing sensation. His lungs felt like they'd collapsed, his heart beat slowed. That flash of light had conveyed a level of diabolical that he could barely comprehend. The amount of endless pain that beast had in mind for them was unbearable. Even as Donnie tried, he knew there was no calculating a plan out of this. With that staff, that…that bastard had complete control.
"Excellent." The dragon cooed as it surveyed the turtles. Each of their faces an expression of pure horror. After a few moments, it pulled out what Donnie assumed to be Mikey's cure. It spun the syringe in its massive claws, enjoying the way it made each of the turtles snap back into attention. The beast cracked another smile before tossing over the syringe. Leo was the fastest to react. He dove to catch it as it arched a few feet short of where Mikey lay on Donnie's plastron. Leo caught it in shaking hands. Donnie saw Raph let out a breath of relief before turning to glare at the dragon. It pretended not to notice.
Raph struggled out from underneath the dragons claws, running over to Donnie as Leo handed him the injection.
"How do we know it's not going to make him worse?" Raph asked. Donnie hesitantly took the syringe from Leo's hand.
"We don't," Leo spoke the truth Donnie knew. "But he clearly wants us around for his sick game." Leo spit out the words. "Plus, I don't think we really have a choice." He added softly. Donnie nodded and swallowed.
"Here goes." He mumbled as he slowly injected the antidote in Mikey's arm. Mikey moaned but otherwise didn't respond. Donnie saw Raph twitched in nervousness and impatience out of the corner of his eye. Leo remained perfectly still.
For a terrifying moment, Mikey seemed to stop breathing but after what seemed like eternity he took a deep breath. Each of the brothers let out the breath they'd been holding. They looked up at each other, Donnie and Raph turning towards Leo. The message was clear.
"So who are you anyway? And why are you so interested in us?" Leo asked. They had to keep the beast talking while they waited for the cure to work. They couldn't let him separate them before knowing the antidote saved Mikey. And clearly, the dragon liked to talk. The beast's smile reappeared with the returned attention.
"Quiet the story. Full of revenge and hatred as all the best stories are." The dragon looked up almost dreamily.
"He's insane." Raph mumbled to Leo.
"It started years ago. I began as a young dragon so full of wonder and potential. I knew I was destined for great things, great acts of terror and destruction! I honed my skills on nearby villages, challenging each of the communities best warriors, until my skills grew too great and I was hard pressed to find a true challenger in my world!" The dragon paused, looking lost in thought. Donnie was about ready to scream before it continued. "It was then that I discovered this staff." The dragon grow more animated with each word, lifting up the staff dramatically. "I won it in one of my last fights on my home world and discovered this beautiful weapon allowed me to freely travel the dimensions, searching for more competitors to defeat! And competitors I found! I defeated all the dimensions best! Making a name for myself. A name synonymous with fear and power." It's teeth were on fully display at this point with it's chest puffed out and it's smile splitting his face in half.
Then, the dragon's face suddenly darkened. "Then I ran into your sensei… that rat." It spit out the last word like it a bitter seed. "I saw his fighting prowess against a formidable foe and decided he was worth my skills. I challenged him to a duel and he refused!" The dragon looked at the turtles as if looking for sympathetic astonishment in their faces. It got nothing so it explained, "I was aghast. How dare some simple creature decline my challenge! Preposterous! I attacked anyway of course but that rat refused to do anything but dodge my attacks. I became blind with rage and in my weakened state he dealt a blow that left me defeated."
It looked down, claw to his chest, waiting for sympathy. When, again, it received none, the dragon continued, "He offered his hand but I refused such a demeaning gesture! How dare he trick me and then treat me like a fool to be pitied! I left in a rage and carefully plotted my revenge." A grin spread across the dragon's rows of teeth. "When I discovered how deeply he cared for the creatures under his care I knew I had found my opportunity. I would take you away from him, make you suffer in his stead and let him wallow in guilt and shame, cursing the day he ever denied Drako, the greatest warrior the multiverse has ever known!" The grin turned into a wild laugh.
"If you're so great, how come we've never heard of ya?" Raph spit out. Leo and Donnie looked at Raph in shock. The dragon's eyes narrowed.
"I'm recognized across the dimensions. I do not need your recognition."
"Ha. Yeah, sure you don't, Mr. All Great and Mighty." Raph lay the sarcasm down thick. "Bet you can't even defeat your grandma in a fight." He continued taunting despite Donnie and Leo's desperate motions to get him to stop talking. Smoke began to curl from the dragon's nostrils and his eyes turned to slits.
"You insolent turtle. You do not know to whom you speak."
"I know I'm talking to a coward who can't handle getting beat by an old man." Raph spat, arms crossed and eyes angry. The dragon roared.
"You WILL learn humility, TURTLE." The dragon raised the staff high above his head and called out some words in an ancient language. "YOU WILL SUFFER UNDER MY WRATH!" The staff shivered then glowed in a bright red light. Donnie looked on in horror. This was it. This was were they ended. All because of Raph's stupid temper.
A dark vortex bloomed behind it and began pulling at everything around it. Donnie searched around for anything to grab on to. His fingers caught on a root hidden in the leaves. He wrapped a protective arm around Mikey and hoped he had enough strength in his injured shoulder.
As he looked up again to see Leo and Raph also gripping at half buried roots, he the dragon's face turned from fury to horror as the hole began to have its affects on its master. "NO! I command you!" The beast screamed but he staff paid no mind, it hung on its own as the dragon dropped to claw, desperately raking the ground. Its claws dug deep into the ground but it did nothing. It was too close to the vortex. Its large body was too much to hold down. Its grip on the ground released under the pressure of the blackhole. First, the tip of its horrible tail slipped into the inky blackness. Then it's hind legs. Then its massive torso. Within moments, the whole beast had been sucked into the blackness and the staff dropped, quiet in the leaves.
The turtles looked at each other in confusion and amazement. The only indication that anything had happened were the deep claw marks in the dirt. Eventually, the silence broke.
"Dudes. What happened?" Mikey groaned as he tried to sit up. The three brothers turned their attention to their little brother.
"Mikey!" Donnie chimed, hugging him closer despite his protests.
"Dude! Chill! I'm not going anywhere!"
"You're ok!" Leo exclaimed putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder.
"Good to see ya, little bro." Raph said as he patted Mikey on the head.
"You too. Glad to see you guys are okay." Mikey mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Well, mostly." He added as he took a real look at his brothers.
They'd all grown thin, covered in injuries of their own, and tired.
"How are you feeling?" Donnie asked.
"Terrible." Mikey frowned. "And so hungry." His stomach grumbled in response. They all smiled despite themselves.
"We'll get you food soon, little brother." Leo promised. Mikey nodded and smiled a little.
"Think we can use this, Donnie?" Raph asked picking up the staff.
"I don't know. That dragon… Drako… didn't seem to have much luck."
"But I bet it's how he got us here." Leo added.
"What?" Mikey looked dazed.
"We'll explain later." Donnie reassured him. Mikey nodded and yawned.
Raph walked back over to stand near his brothers. As soon as he reached them, the staff begun to shake.
"Woah!" Raph eyes went wide, almost dropping the thing entirely.
"What's it doing?" Leo asked, worry reaching his tone.
"I don't know." Donnie replied, voice reaching a higher pitch.
"Maybe it's taking us home." Mikey mumbled. With that the blue light returned and a blue portal appeared. The three older brothers stared at the new opening in the glade. Mikey continued to rest in Donnie's arms.
Raph looked over to Leo. They seemed to communicate silently for a second before Raph shrugged. Leo looked back at the portal, thinking for a moment, before turning to help Donnie lift Mikey. Raph was at their side instantly taking most of Mikey's weight off Donnie which the younger brother gratefully accepted. With that, the four brothers stumbled to the portal. Together they stepped in, without hesitation, and disappeared.
The portal stayed for a fraction of a second after they'd all gone before zapping shut. All that remained was the quiet whisper of the forest leaves.
Hope you all enjoyed! I'll be posting an epilogue in a few days. In the mean time tell me what you think!
(Also, for those of you who are confused why you got an update for this chapter a second time, someone pointed out to me that I missed a section. What is now chapter 12 use to not be there. Thanks for y'all's patience!)