Replaced Part 2
Raph's room shrouded in silence; the muscle bound turtle wasn't in the mood to turn his music on, with his eyes closed tight, he had his foot elevated on top of a pillow.
Feeling the weight of the bed suddenly shifting to one side, Raph snorted, not bothering to open his eyes.
"So bro what happen to your foot?" Mikey leaned forward, beak inches away from his.
Feeling like he needed a good laugh to occupy his wandering mind on what happened in the lab, Raph sprang his eyes open, giving a long wet lick on Mikey's beak making the young turtle spaze out, retreating quickly.
"AHH DUDE! That is gross!" Mikey wiped his beak immediately, disgusted by Raph's actions.
"Well serves yeah right being in my personal space pest," Raph barked feeling amused over Mikey's misery.
"You could have hit me like usual, anything then that! That is nasty even for me!" Mikey narrowed his eyes not appreciated in being licked of all things.
"Whatever," Raph shrugged, putting his arms behind his head, stretching his body out.
"So... what happened?" Mikey pushed the impulse to run out of the room and wash his beak with soap and water and disinfecting it, going back to his first question.
"I step on some glass," Raph answered finally waiting for Mikey to be a smart aleck and put his two cents in on how Raph is a bull in a china shop, thinking he must have knocked something down then stepped on it afterwards.
"Ouch… So why were you running to your room like some things was chasing you?" Mikey dared to lean forward again, yet this time didn't get too close, in case Raph would do something repugnant towards him for amusement on his own expense.
"No I wasn't," Raph huffed annoyed that Mikey like normal was sticking his beak into someone else's business.
"Sure you weren't," Mikey put his arms up, "Then I guess you were just eager to get to your room to do what?"
"Mikey, I don't know what the hell you're looking for, whatever it is, it ain't here."
"Fine then I have to go make supper anyways," Mikey got up feeling Raph was hiding something, but knew very well once Raph acts like this, there is no way anyone can pry anything out of him.
The trickster would have to wait for later to crack his shell open.
Reaching the door Mikey stopped dead, hearing Raph asking him something under his breath, "Has Donnie asked you for blood?"
Turning around on the ball of his heel, Mikey put his finger to his cheek, "No, why?"
Hesitantly, Raph rubbed his arm, "If he does, tell him no. Make whatever excuse you can think of."
"What? Raph did something happened. You're acting scared... That isn't like you."
Clenching his fist, the hothead growled, turning all shades of red, "Mikey just do it and don't tell either Leo or Donnie I told you this! You got that shrimp!"
"Whoa there cowboy, chill out. Okay, Okay," Mikey put his hands before him in surrender to tame the beast, "I will make an excuse, but you have to tell me why later when you're in a better mood... Besides, I don't' like needles anyways," Mikey added cheerfully, opening the door, hiding his worry.
This wasn't like Raph at all; nothing scares him this much, what happened in the lab that he is hiding? Would Leo know?
Dinner rolling around Raph left the safety of his room, part of him felt reluctant in warning Mikey he must have sounded like a loon.
Even so, he couldn't get the event out of his head, first Donnie's meditation the way he was, how he acted behind Leo's back, even when Donnie grabbed his shoulder to beg to look over the wound, made him feel suffocated by something dark and malicious.
His touch, though he knew it was Donnie didn't feel like his brother, if the room was dark, and he had no clue Donnie was there; Raph would have sworn it was a stranger invading the lair.
Reaching the last step, Raph pushed the delusional feelings and thoughts to the side; he had to stop this nonsense before he loses it if that hasn't happened already.
The table all set up Raph took his usual seat as Leo came by, sitting down with a trembling sickly moaned, laying his head on top of the surface not ushering a word.
His face was pale; his eyes showed signs that he hasn't slept for days, which made no sense since he was fine earlier.
"Shit bro what is up with you? Your eyes look like two piss holes in the snow bank…" Raph asked, pointing out the obvious, not sure what else to say.
With a weak 'huh' Leo looked up just noticing Raph was there, "Nothing… not feeling well, how long have you been there?"
Ignoring the question that didn't matter Raph got up placing his hand on Leo's head; it was hot, he must have a fever, "Leo you're burning up."
"I'm I…" Leo moaned placing his head back down.
"Raph what's wrong with Leo?!" Mikey gasped almost dropping the casserole dish in his hands.
"I don't know he has a fever," Raph pointed out.
Placing the dish on the table, taking off the oven mitts Mikey rushed to his older brother feeling his forehead as well.
Leo was hot to the touch; his skin was pasty, and he was sweating like crazy.
"Leo?" Donnie came up looking at all three brothers, then putting his attention to Leo.
"Donnie what is wrong with him?" Mikey whimpered.
Shaking his head with uncertainty Donnie shrugged, "I'm not sure, I think it might be the flu? It is going around this time of year."
"Flu?" Raph questioned getting into Donnie's face, "Really Donnie your theory is the flu? Leo doesn't catch colds; he never did."
Annoyed Donnie growled under his breath for the fact Raph was questioning his judgment, "Oh and your now the doctor in the family? Raph, even someone that doesn't normally come down with an illness doesn't mean they will never likely will. The older you get, the lower your immune system becomes, making you more
susceptible in catching even a simple cold."
'Hey hey!" Mikey got between the brothers, "I don't know what is up with you two dudes, but have you forgotten Leo is sick and needs treatment!"
Both brothers feeling embarrassed fell into silence, as Mikey could only sigh.
"Sorry Mikey," Donnie started passing by Raph that still had steam coming from his ears, "I will bring Leo to my lab and see what he has, I however think it's a bug of some sort; some aspirin and rest will do the trick."
"Do you want some help Donnie?" Mikey offered, getting the purple clad turtle shaking his head.
"It's okay Mikey; I can handle him, but can you do me a favor and just leave my supper on the kitchen counter I will eat later when I feel confident Leo is out of the woods, and I have his fever down."
Taking Leo Donnie helped the sick brother to his lab, while Raph sat back down, placing his hand on his head, staring at the supper Mikey took the time to make. What has gotten over him to be so impulsive towards Donnie? Regardless what he has witnessed earlier, it shouldn't have brought him to such a level; he was acting like Donnie was the enemy just like that without fining prominent evidence otherwise.
Taking the seat next to him Mikey remained quiet with his hands folded on the table.
They both didn't say a word waiting for Donnie to come back out that was around an hour later.
Looking at them, both and the cold meal that hasn't been touched, Donnie smiled sweetly, "Leo is fine, as I suspected he just has a stomach bug, I have given him something for it and with rest, he will be bright as rain in the morning. "
Letting a breath of relief Mikey got up, taking a plate, placing the pasta on it passing it to Raph.
"Sorry Mikey, I'm not hungry," Raph stated in a whisper getting to his feet heading towards the stairs.
"Are you sure Raph?" Mikey tilted his head at his brother.
"Yeah…"
"Wait Raph are you feeling well? I know your upset over Leo, but you have been acting strange lately. Maybe I should do some blood tests to make sure you didn't come down with what Leo caught," Donnie asked placing his hand onto Raph's shoulder.
Raph shrugged it off, "I'm fine Donnie."
Raph not in the mood and feeling like he couldn't trust Donnie or himself towards his older brother, he continued to his room ignoring the protest from the brothers.
Once again, in his room Raph sat there with his hand under his chin; this was going beyond him.
Sure, he has a temper and can be irritated very easily but the way he keeps acting towards Donnie was abnormal for him, the accusations over his brother not being his brother wasn't making him feel any better.
What was it that irked him so about his brother? Was it the series of events that been building up that has placed him on edge? Or was he losing it, maybe he needed a vacation or start considering to chill out more, less head smashing and increase his time finding inner peace as his father suggested on plenty of occasions in the past.
With all this violence in his life, it might be the reason he is having these episodes and who knows how much it will escalate if he continues the path he walks.
Upon hearing the light creaking of his door opening, Raph looked up, seeing the color of orange hovering in the threshold.
"Mikey make your mind up; you're in or out?" Raph rolled his eyes, waiting for Mikey to either come in or piss off.
Taking that as in invite Mikey slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him.
"So Bro are you hungry?" Mikey placed the plate of food on the side table with a glass of water.
"Not really..." Raph started to object, seeing the hurt in Mikey's eyes; the stubborn boar let out a sigh picking up the plate taking a mouth full.
A flash of glee washed over Mikey's face as he took a seat on the bed beside Raph, "Dude don't hit me for this, but what was that all about down there?"
Raph choking down the delicious food sadly, since he wanted to savor the taste, Raph reluctantly placed the plate back onto the nightstand, "Mikey it was nothing, just drop it."
"Drop it? Come on Raphie you were all hulk on Donnie-boy's butt, back there. What gives? Did you two have a fight? Did Donnie say something to you that brought this on?" Mikey blurred out.
"Mikey..." Raph studied his hands clenching them open and shut debating what he should or shouldn't say to the little brother, what if he too thought he was losing it?
"Well?" the orange clad turtle leaned in poking Raph in the cheek.
Raph seeing how this couldn't hurt and giving in, considering Mikey wasn't the type to just let things sit; Raph cleared his throat.
"I think there is something off with Donnie."
"In what regards? Then him becoming a health nut," Mikey sat back, pulling his legs onto the bed to cross them.
"I don't know; he isn't acting like himself..."
"Yo bro that isn't answering the question, details dude details!" Mikey lightly hit Raph in the arm to nudge him to spill the beans.
"Fine... It all started..."
The explanation taking an hour or so, Raph felt out winded over telling Mikey of every detail on what he saw and experienced. Raph didn't even leave out the voice he heard.
For the first time ever, Mikey remained content and focused listening to each and every syllable out of his mouth; it wasn't until he came to the end Mikey stood up pacing back and forth mapping out all the information in his head.
"So you're telling me Donnie not only acted unresponsive towards you pushing his regular buttons, that when he was behind Leo he acted off, then his ordinary self," Mikey asked after that added, "Did Donnie know you were in the bathroom at the time?"
"Nope, he was meditating in the back when I cut my foot."
"Then the voice when you first heard it, was it before, or after you cut yourself?" Mikey inquired.
Grinding his teeth, Raph could see where Mikey was getting at, blaming the cut, "I heard it before!"
Smiling Mikey put his finger out, "One sec."
With that the little brother was out of the room in a flash, then back again with a couple of books in hand.
"What are these?" Raph pondered, not sure why Mikey would bring these books here or what they were for.
"Answers maybe... I don't know Dude, I'm a bit skeptic on what you told me... But then again, I know your not one for pranks, and Donnie was really weird this morning... Though when I brought that up, you simply told me to grow up!"
"Sorry Mikey, I was only trying to shake the feeling away, you know how crazy it sounds. However, I don't know what is going on and still don't..." Raph sighed, grabbing a book blinking at the title.
'Encyclopedia of mythical creatures and legends' placing the book down Raph started to get the feeling, he started something he shouldn't have.
"Okay, here it is," Mikey beamed in excitement, yet shivered at the thought this could be really happening.
"Whatcha have? If you say possession or haunting I will whap you one!"
Rolling his eyes Mikey huffed, "Man your small minded! No I think Donnie... well the guy that looks like our brother could be his doppelganger."
"A double what?" Raph grabbed the book turning this way and that blinking at the text and images, beyond confused and feeling out of his element.
"A 'dop-uh l-gang-er' Dude! A being that looks like and acts like someone you know or is a replica of you, yet they are not. What kind depends on the legend, some say a doppelganger can be a bad omen or is trying to replace the original, causing mayhem and so on."
"Okay, I think that sound crazier than what I just told you... Besides Mikey, where did you get these books and why?" Raph asked, giving the book back it was making his brain hurt.
Twiddling his thumbs, Mikey turned white, "Well after we found proof that magic does exist and other really neat things, I wanted to learn more Dude. This stuff is cool and..."
"Well, never thought of you getting into this hocus-pocus, but not surprised either. You really think this could be why Donnie doesn't seem right?" Raph placed his hand on Mikey's shoulder showing he wasn't going to judge his brother's interests.
Smiling again, Mikey nodded, "I believe so, if it something else that would be Donnie's department."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same. But what about the voice I heard, what is that all about? And the way Donnie wants our blood, it seems suspicious and the voice said don't let him..."
Pondering on it Mikey sat back down looking over the book coming up short, "I don't… I can't see how that will relate. There is nothing here on why a doppelganger would want blood or why you heard Donnie's voice twice? However, I do have an idea when Donnie must have been replaced, sometime after you put him into bed."
"How so?"
"Simple he didn't remember; the doppelganger might have been making the switch with Donnie before that point, you bringing him to bed was past the part where the doppelganger took Donnie's memories so in turn had no memory of that happening."
"Okay, if your right, then where is the real Donnie?!" Raph jumped up on the question, if this guy was an imposter, where was his true brother?
"We can always investigate his room, that is the last place you have seen him, right?" Mikey joined Raph, walking toward the door.
"Yeah, that is... Let's go take a look Mikey."
A witch hunt, that's what the red clad turtle felt like this was coming too.
To think 12hrs ago or so he was rudely awoken by his damn alarm, after that Mikey, to be at the end of the day hunting down ghosts and some phantom voices, in hopes to find out what was Donnie's deal and maybe stumble upon some solid clues then just first person experiences.
The brothers trying to avoid being caught snooping around for their ridicules proof, knew it wouldn't bold to well if Donnie starts questioning their antics.
Mikey turning the light on, Raph became disappointed, wishing it was as simple as seeing Donnie laying there unconscious on his bed and proving the other Donnie was a fake.
The room sadly was unoccupied, leaving an unfillable void of doubt in Raph's heart; he was just chasing rainbows, coming empty handed, and leading him to believe this was his imagination after all.
"Mikey there is nothing here, let's go before Donnie finds out we are in his room." Raph sighed leaning his shell against the wall.
"Really dude that's it, you're throwing in the towel, going to quit before even trying?" Mikey pouted opening the closet peaking inside.
"Mikey look at this place there is nothing here… You know what, search all you want, I'm going to check up on Leo," Raph barked, pushing away his feelings once again.
All he was doing was feeding the dragon, Mikey's mischievous side enticed by wild stories that should stay as a campfire tale only, then being acted out.
What was he thinking? Can he truly believe that Donnie is really some double supernatural being that took over his brother's life? When did this turn into a circus act, all he was thinking was his brother was acting odd and thought it might be him that is having issues imagining these events?
He wasn't making things any better; he needed to put his paranoia to rest, the right way, by talking to Donnie to solve this once and for all.
"Hey Donnie are you…" Raph called in opening the door, finding the place deserted, with the lights off and the back room alight by a similar glow from earlier.
"Jeez, here we go again…" Raph closed the door, walking towards the back, what was Donnie doing now?
Slowly making his way forward this time knowing where the shelves were placed, Raph started to feel a cold chill in the air wrapping around his bones.
Each step the muscle turtle took, he swore he heard a voice from beyond the arch that was out of place; it sounded like Donnie yet it was deeper, demonic in nature.
Five, six, Pick up herb sticks;
Seven, eight, stuff them right in;
The density of the room thickened, shooting a cold shiver down Raph's spine as he slowed his pace forward, reaching for his sai instinctively.
Nine, ten, then add some blood from them;
Eleven, twelve, Close it up;
Taking a breath, Raph realized his body was trembling, if he had hair, he knew it would be standing up on end. His throat felt dry and this sick, twisted fear clawed at him, begging him to run!
Thirteen, fourteen, sew in the eyes;
Fifteen, sixteen, make it look like them;
Reaching the archway Raph body was slower than molasses, he could barely breathe and felt the tunnel vision sneaking up on him.
Seventeen, eighteen, replace them one by one;
Peering into the room, Raph gasped in horror as his knees suddenly grew weak buckling, forcing his weight to come to the mercy of gravity.
There in the room, the candles were alit with Donnie sitting on his knees hovering over Leo, who seemed unresponsive, while holding what look like a voodoo doll pressed against his plastron.
Donnie's eyes pitch black with red pupils; he had a smile that was wide and unnatural. His aura was a black and putrid like his eyes; he gleamed over Leo like the brother was his prize, the trophy he required.
Raph feeling like something was pulling him down; he fought against the tide trying to speak that only came out muffled, as if he was being gagged.
Instantly Donnie's head snapped up amused to see the brother there falling apart, unable to even barley stand.
Slowly licking his lips Donnie rose to his feet slithering forward, taking his time to let the fear and horrors to set root in Raph's heart, just before kneeling down before him.
Donnie not wanting for Raph to miss a beat allowed the turtle to be able to see Leo still, yet made sure Raph could see him as well. Tilting the red clad turtle's head up to meet his cold, pure evil eyes, Donnie parted his lips.
Nineteen, twenty, My brethren will live and they shall die.
As the words seeped out of the demonic Donnie's mouth like a plague, Leo's body started to seize, the doll he was holding eyes started to glow bright and strong.
Trying to get up Raph was unable to move horrified at what he was witnessing and the feeling of helplessness consuming him.
Gasping for air, Leo's body arched back unnaturally, as some bluish warm ball of light came from his mouth being sucked out of the brother's body from an invisible force, guided into the doll. Then a more sinister black mist came from the doll entering Leo's body after the blue light was fully imprisoned into the puppet.
"What the hell!" Raph some how manage to scream, that was weak and made him cough for over such effort.
Leaning forward Donnie purred clenching his hand around Raph's neck blocking the air from reaching his lungs.
"Soon you will understand when it comes to your turn Raphael!" Donnie belch out a devilish laughed tightening his grip around Raph's throat, making the room in front of the poor turtle's eyes be engulfed into darkness.
TBC