The return back was relatively silent. Leo stayed in the front, secretly searing with frustration and anger from the current situation. Donnie stayed in the middle, walking much slower trying to process what images he was shown and the pain he felt. All his concentration laid on the problem with the guardians and their involvement with there younger brother. Not once during his vision was he met with an image of Rictor but strictly with the three creatures that were beginning to run their lives. Donnie stared at the ground as he walked feeling somewhat strange. He felt that his head with being lifted off from his body and becoming weightless. His mind was jumbling itself up into a ball of confusion and irrelevant answers. The sudden pounding on the side of his head made him groan and place his hand on his forehead to try and steady the sudden ache. Distracted by the sudden throb in his head, he didn't notice the root of one of the elder trees sticking out from the ground and tumbled forward. He landed on his knees and palms looking down at the dusty brown dirt, as if he was trying to create a message out of the speckles of rocks that infested around the world. He was trying to calculate the sudden dizziness, the confusion he was getting. He growled at himself for his brain was cooperating with his commands.
Suddenly his eyes went wide with understanding. The cold breeze he felt through the wall, there was a chemical that had to be it. He moaned slightly, using the leverage of the tree next to him to pull himself up completely. He panted slightly for his body felt to weigh a hundred pounds. He didn't feel like this before so had something to do with the gush of air. It was escaping from what ever was inside and creating some mind bending creation. Donnie had to get a sample to truly understand. He started to dig into his bag, rumbling passed certain gizmos that didn't bother looking at, only concerned for a certain tool. With a successful smile, he pulled out an absorption plate to see it was in good condition. This will help him determine if there is anything in the air or not.
As he turned to run back to the cube, he stopped suddenly at the shrill terror of feeling that pain again. He was afraid that if he got too close to that barrier he wouldn't be able to leave that sub-earth he was trapped in. He gulped thinking back at how helpless he was, unable to get out of the treacherous water that threaten to take his life.
He snarled at the thought of acting as weak as he was. Mikey was in there, in there with a deranged being. He was in there frighten, hurt, and breaking and here Donnie stood worried about a little shock in the arm. Biting his lip, He took a breath before setting out towards the barrier once more.
Raph kept as far back from Donnie and Leo as he could, attempting to sort out his scattered mind. He wasn't use to this, this feeling of weakness. If something went down, or something was frustrating him to the worlds end, he would call up Casey and they would go out and bash some heads before heading out to Casey's apartment and relaxing at the couch with a beer in hand and the game of the television. But right now, he had to try a different tactic. He couldn't fight, he couldn't drink, he had to succumb to these thoughts, memories, feelings on his own with no relief but his wild, unorthodox mind. He growled and punched the neighboring tree with all his might, watching the bark crack slightly as the vibrations of the hit echoed through the trunk of the tree, rattling the leaves loose off their branches.
With a sigh he sat down at the base of the tree, legs crossed and looking out towards the forests, ruminating off the memories of him and Mikey running through the trees at Casey's farmhouse.
"Calm on Raph you gotta be faster then that!" He remembered him mocking the slowness of his run.
"When I get ya Mikey ya gonna wish ya were neva born!" He'd scream to him, only to hear that fun filled laughed. Raph smirked slightly at the memory, something with a little hope that Mikey will be okay. It was nice for a mere moment the dismembered thoughts were put away and little comfort were left in his mind.
Raphael stiffened when he heard rustling in the bushes, he got up on one knee, with a sai in hand. He didn't assume his brothers would be coming back, with Leo angered and Donnie distracted he crossed them off his list of offenders in the area. Of course he bit his tongue as he watched Donatello flying by in a wistful speed. Raph was about to call out, asking what the sudden urgency was but decided better it was better to follow.
Donnie was aware of Raph's lingering presence but was too set on his sudden goal to see if he can find out what was in the air. When he came up to the barrier, he froze a few yards away from it, trying to work up the courage to approach it once more. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to turn and wait till they could take it down. But, part of his was demanding to gather the pieces and retrieve the answer now. With a slow breath, he walked forward stopping a few in front of the eerie wall. Donnie shivered looking at this wall that moved with the vibrations of the earth. He took a step closer till he felt that light breeze once more. He held his breath, bringing out the plate and placing it at the edge of the wall, waiting till it gathered enough particles in the air. When it finally told him the gathering was complete, he placed the machined back in his bag and turned quick on his heels to get as far away from the barrier as possible.
Donnie could feel the darkness lingering greatly around the walls. He felt the pain and sorrow of so many lives he could stand being that close of proximity to such a powerful entity. Suddenly, his vision crossed slightly making him stumble. His legs crossed in front of each other making him tumble over. He readied himself for a hard blow but felt himself being lifted up. He looked to see Raph holding up right, looking down at him for reassurance that he was okay. Donnie looked up to tell him he was fine, but suddenly a tightness in his chest made him crunch forward in Raph's hold, forcing them both on their knees.
"Don!" Raph cried, listening to the rigid breathing of his brother, feeling the clammy skin festering across his arms. Donnie tried to reply but the pain was growing in his chest. He scrunched his eyes trying to steady his breathing.
Short, easy breaths. He reminded himself. He felt the pain being relieved slightly. He stood up, heavily on Raphael, his sight coming back to focus.
"have to...get away" Donnie choked up before his mind surged with a white pool of pain. His body suddenly went numb, feet dragging as they attempted to return back. Raph gasped wrapping his arms around Donnie's middle as he fell forward, allowing the darkness to consume him.
"Dammit Don!" Raph growled, seeing his brother was unconscious. He looked back towards where the barrier was and assumed that was the cause of it. He looked back down at his brother, pondering how to take him back. With a sigh, he hoisted Donnie over his shoulder and dashed towards the Daimyo's home.
Leo made it back to the palace and took note that neither of his brothers were directly behind him. Leo felt the worry in his gut telling him to turn around to see where they were. Right as he was about to turn, felt a hand on his shoulder.
"My son?" came a worried, gentle voice. Leonardo was about to speak till he felt his leg being held on to tightly. Looking down he saw the son of the Daimyo hugging tightly to his calf. Leonardo liked the fact after being transformed back into a child, he has experiencing and seeing life in a whole new perspective. Leo still felt somewhat guilty for never telling the young boy of his past life but knew this new child was nothing like the ultimate ninja.
The young boy looked up and smiled at Leo.
"We have come back to help find Michelangelo." He stated proudly, letting go of Leo's leg and backing up behind Master Splinter. Splinter looked into his eyes to see Leonardo's mind was in distress. Splinter looked behind his son and jaw dropped. Without a simple word, he walked passed Leonardo and stood at the opening of the palace, watching as Raphael raced towards the building in full force, carrying Donnie over his shoulder.
"Raphael!" Splinter called out with a cringing fear that damage was done to Donatello.
Raphael stopped to stare at his father, happy that he returned. With some issue, he was able to bring Donnie around his front and held him out for assistance to his father. Donnie's breathing was over all normal and it seemed that he was merely sleeping, possibly exhausted from the pain he had endured. Splinter ran over to where Raph was stopped with Leo right on his heels. Raph looked up to see the Daimyo standing there, holding back his son as if trying to protect him in some way. Raph growled, angered by the fact that the Daimyo was acting in such a crude manner towards he and his brothers. Raph looked down to see Donnie was starting to open his eyes, groaning quietly. Raph could still see slight haze in his brother eyes. He really wanted to understand the reasoning behind why his brother was in so much pain, what was causing it? Raph didn't need to ask who it was. A bolt of anger went through his system thinking of Rictor and the ones known as the guardians and another question came to mind. Why would such strong entities that can cause so much destruction and chaos work for someone like Rictor.
Raph watched as Leo and Splinter took hold of his brother and carried him into the house. Raph was trying to follow when he suddenly felt his breathing caught in his throat. The sudden feeling of something lodged in between the walls of his sensitive throat made Raph choke. He fell to his knees with a loud thump, holding desperately to his neck, trying to clear whatever object was fit so tightly away. After what felt like an eternity, he felt the burning in his throat, tears prickling at the sides of his eyes, feeling the pain build, creating an unbearable throb in his head.
Finally, he was able to use his gag reflexes, plus the pushing of bile from his stomach to dislodge the object from his throat. With a hearty gargle, he was able to push the object out and stayed on his knees panting heavily. He cracked his eyes open and looked down. His body sprung up seeing the hissing cockroach, squirming in the acids from his bile, laying on his shell moving it's little legs in a hurried movement. Raph shook slightly by the look of the insect on the ground. When he tried to move away, his throat clogged up once more, making him bend over once more, choking for breath once more. After what felt like a millennium the next roach freed itself from his mouth and down with the other roach which now laid lifeless on the floor. Raph couldn't think, looking down at the bacterial infested bugs that somehow breached his body and forced themselves free. Raphael was shaking terribly, eyes the size of saucers, fearing of another pain striking sickness.
A shudder filled his senses. They were crawling. Raph whipped around, trying to look at his shell. They were crawling up his shell. He lashed out, trying with every effort of his being to stop the fearful creatures but he felt them go down in the lip of his shell, crawling inside his sensitive skin. Raph began to scream out, with fear and distress flooding every sense he had. He breathing became harsh looking for help but saw his world grew dark.
"Its not real, its not real." He tried to reassure himself, ignoring the feeling of the roaches, hearing them, feeling them. There was more. They were on the ground, flooding the darkness with more desperation for light. Raph grabbed his Sais, slicing randomly at the ground, hearing the crunching of the tough shells, the squishing of their innards being punctured. Raph was growing tired. There was so many of them, whether or not they really existed didn't matter because he could hear them, feel them still.
His arms began to grow heavy, they were all around him, touching him. Raphael has hated insects more then anything else. Ever since he was a young child, when he was lost in the sewers after fighting with Leo saying he could make it on his own, he didn't realize but he stumbled on a nest of sewer roaches. Mean, angry sewer roaches who didn't like little turtles invading their home. He remembered running home, crying terribly. After being treated for the multiple bites from the insects, he swore he would destroy every bug that lived.
But here he was, being swarmed by the devil's creation. He felt the pain of the small bites. His heart was racing, battling with his bones to escape its confinements. He was screaming, out of frustration and fear, he knew he was. His bottom half was shadowed under the piles of roaches. He was being constricted, denied any passage to release himself from his current predicament.
He heard the laughter, the agonizing, sinful laughter. He knew that laughter, it mocked him, terrorized him to the end of his time. Raph cracked his eyes once more, looking forward at the monster standing before him, ignoring the growing sense of the insects covering the last bit of his flesh. Rictor stood there, hands behind his back, smiling, laughing.
"Fear is a prison Raphael, something you can never escape." He spoke. His voice sounded so distant ans yet it was so close. Raphael had no time to even try and reply when he felt them entering his mouth, muffling his screams. The feel of there tiny legs dancing on his tongue, burying themselves deeper into the back of his throat. He felt life slipping, leaving him to his fear of death, as if his own childhood was haunting him once more. He tried to cry out once more but no luck passed the roaches. Clamping his eyes firmly shut, he tried to block them all out, not want this to be his final memory.
"Raphael!" He heard his father. He was calling for him. Raph opened his eyes, to see his vision crossed slightly. He saw he was faced with the grass in front of the Daimyo's home. He was hunched over, hands gripping tightly at the grass beneath them, ripping them from the soft soil that housed their roots. He felt sweat dripping down the sides of his face, saliva pooling from underneath him. His heart still continued to pump as hard as it could it was painful. He heard muffling. He lifted his head up a little higher so see Leo and Splinter trying to speak to him but it was hard to understand. Raphael shook his head slightly trying to clear the clouded thoughts.
Then, heard it again, the laughing. He looked up to see Rictor, standing beside Splinter, looking down at him, smirking.
"You think what I have done to you was terrible, wait until you find out what I have done to your precious Michelangelo." He taunted. Raph responded with a growl, anger searing. He got up quickly pulled out his Sai and ran towards Rictor, grabbing him by the shirt and pinned him to the tree.
He was breathing hard. Hatred, pure hatred drenched from his body. He brought up his Sai and was ready to plunge. That smirk. That Fucking smirk.
"Do it. Kill me. Avenge your dear brother." He taunted once more. Raphael couldn't hold back, bringing the Sai down only to clash with a katana. He looked to see Leo staring at his in horror, holding his Sai back with his own weapon.
"Raphael what are you doing!" He screamed. He pushed his brother back away from Rictor.
"Leo back off!" He yelled back, charging towards Rictor once more only to be stopped by Splinter who stood between he and Rictor.
"My son enough! It isn't who you think it is!" He tried to reason. Raph shut his eyes and growled. When he opened them again his entire body froze. He dropped his Sais to see Donnie leaning on the tree breathing heavily. Raph was stricken with fear. He lost control, he didn't what had just happened other then the fact he almost killed Donatello.
Donnie watched his brothers movements. He was awoken from his pained relief state from the screams coming from Raphael. When they found him on the floor, his eyes were glazed over, as if sleep walking while he was in a nightmare. When Raph attacked him, he only observed, not trying to fight back because he knew Raph was still distraught. He saw the similar glazed over look, telling Donnie more of what was going on.
There was a heavy silence except for the heaving breathing. Donnie looked at Raph to see the turmoil his brother was going through.
"Donnie I..." He tried to speak but couldn't find the words to use. Donnie took a breath before walking over to Raph and gave him a hug. It was subtle but efficient. He knew Raph wouldn't return the offering but he was okay with that as long as Raphael knew that he understood. He let go, looking up at his emotional brother, reading the emotions plastered on his face. He knew they needed to find Mikey soon or else things would only get worse.
Raph lowered his gaze as Donnie walked by him, heading back towards the house where the Daimyo stood, hand protectively on his son's shoulder. Before Donnie could get very far, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at Leo. He felt bad for Leo in a way yet at the same time envied him. He was left in the dark, not knowing much more then what was on the surface of what was happening to them. But, he also hasn't been affected by the monstrous beings besides his one nightmare. He knew Leo deserved to know but felt that Mikey needed someone with a clear head when they found him and who better fits that then Leonardo?
He looked at his eldest before down casting his eyes.
"There's something in the air. It's a chemical. Raph and I got too close. I need to analyze it." He said before disappearing in the house. Leo looked back to see Raph standing there, staring at the tree he pinned Donnie at. Leo was about to walk over to consult him, a walking stick got in front of him. Splinter looked at him and shook his head.
Leo was angry, more then angry actually. He was so frustrated that he wasn't told the truth, that he knew basically nothing. With a low growl, he turned on his heel and headed into the house to follow Donatello. Splinter lowered his ears and looked back at his son who still did not move from his place.
Splinter walked over and stood beside his son, looking at the dark oak of the tree.
"I saw him fatha'." Raph spoke in hushed tones. Splinter knew exactly who he was talking about, the beast who has been terrorizing his family for some time, who still held his youngest against his will. With a sigh, he grabbed Raph by the forearm, pulling him away from the tree, and willingly, Raph followed his father back into the house.
Rictor hummed a tune, enjoying the snarls and freights he got from each cell mate. He stood in front of the room that held a very small, scared terrapin. For some time now, young Michelangelo has been the highlight of his day. Having the guards come in at random variables of the day, drag him out of his cell and beat him senseless. His sickness got worse but he was provided relief from the nurse. Rictor thought it was humorous to think the young turtle thought he didn't know what the nurse was doing for him but he knew everything that was happening in his building.
He tried to make Mikey go outside like he did once before but refused. He knew it was the fear of seeing Miles once more. Feeling a tad bad for Miles loosing such a fun play mate, he sent him in there to have a little fun for himself. One thing that caught Rictor's attention was that Mikey never made a noise. Not with the visits of Miles, not from the beatings, nothing. He kept his mouth securely shut at all times. Although he did say as punishment for talking back he was no longer aloud to speak a word, he didn't think Mikey would go along with it so easily. Although he enjoyed the quiet, hearing the pained noises coming from the small boy excited him.
With the jingle of the keys, he unlocked the door, covering his nose before entering. He has been in here enough times to know the smell was strong and intolerable to the senses. When he opened the door, he looked in the all too familiar corner where Mikey sat with his shell facing towards the door, making no movement from the obvious intrusion.
"Michelangelo." he spoke in a soft voice. The young boy knew better. He had to move. He placed a hand on the wall, pushing himself up slowly, hearing the cracking in his joints. When he stood up completely, he turned and faced Rictor. Rictor smiled looking at the dull blue eyes that looked back at him. The bruises and scars across his body. He heard the shallow breathing coming from the child. His smile only grew larger.
"Michelangelo I have some friends I want you to meet. Come." He demanded. And as if on cue, his body moved forward, like a puppet in a show, he followed every order as if Rictor controlled his body.
They walked down the narrow hallways, listening to the screams and pleads of the other creatures trapped in the fights. Mikey kept his eyes focused on the floor ahead of him. He felt like dirt, even lower then dirt. So many sinful acts played, so much pain and agony and couldn't speak out.
Mikey shifted his gaze to the back of Rictor's head. His hatred grew everyday, his urge to kill the bastard was stronger then he could ever imagine it. He had spent days plotting, scheming ways he would destroy this man's existence. He was happy the nurse was helping him. Even if the portions were small, he could feel little strength coming back to him. He just needed to wait a little longer. A small amount more and he will kill Rictor in cold blood.
They came to two large doors that opened with a creak. Mikey was shoved in from Rictor. He stumbled only slightly but regained his footing. He looked around and froze in complete terror. He looked up at the three figures that loomed over him, hounding him in a way. Mikey wanted to run, run as fast as he could but he couldn't move, he couldn't think. His jaw shook, the air in the room was so thick he thought he was going to choke.
"Michelangelo." the one in the middle spoke. His voice bouncing off the walls around them. He has felt pain, agony, sadness, but this, this was shear terror that he had never felt before in his life. He felt his stomach turn instantly and his knees began to buckle.
A sudden pop in the room caught his attention, he looked down at the floor to see the ground began to light up, illuminating everything around them. When Mikey looked around, he saw the floor was drawn up like a star. He looked back up to the guardians. Time froze instantly, only thing that moved was the thumping in his chest.
"Your mind is ours." Was all he said before Mikey was blinded by the light, covering his entire body. Rictor shut the door before the light got him. He leaned against the door and purred to himself when he heard the agonizing scream of Michelangelo.
A/N: Hello lovelies! I know I've been gone and I do apologize. One of my bad habits is when I'm close to getting to the good parts of my stories I get lazy and it gets harder to write it D; But I'll finish I swear!
So this is for the Anon who asked how I come up with my stories. To be honest? I seriously come up with them in like ten minutes. Beginning to end boom! I have a very wild imagination and I can make a story out of a lamp if I really wanted to haha. But I have like twenty other stories I want to try and write but I have to finish one first! I'm terrible haha. But please tell me what you guys think I love every opinion and don't be afraid to ask questions! Till next time fighters! Love ya!