Replaced Part 5
(Just great…)
Hanging there literally Raph tugged forcefully at his iron chains, that Donnie made sure even he couldn't pick, or rip off the brick wall with his brute strength.
His hand anchored over his head; Raph sat there staring at his beloved room not feeling the comfort it used to provide him in the past.
Now this was his prison, for how long he wasn't sure, only that no matter what plans flashes within his mind, that brilliant light bulb would not light up.
He was between a rock and a hard place. To think he would end up like this...
Sighing yet still unable to hear it, his voice hadn't returned or showed signs of it doing so any time soon.
He was at a loss; it was certain, though he had no doubts dwelling within, after overhearing his so call brothers' plans and even before that, they were replaced; it was a no brainier, yet they insist to act coy about it.
By now, they must have realized he acknowledged they are not who they appear to be, so why with continuing this shenanigan. Why do they wear the masks to disguise themselves?
Sure, they had to keep up the act towards Karai, after her and Leo had overpowered him at the dock and dragging his shell home.
Still, even after that Donnie gave the pity act towards the female ninja stating the intention of the poison wasn't to escalate to give birth to such casualties or have extreme effects upon the body.
They con Karai to follow Donnie to the lab, which was the last Raph saw of her.
While in the meantime Leo brought Raph here to his room that had chains awaiting for him.
Upon locking the red clad turtle up, Leo treated him as if he has gone insane and this was the only way he and Donnie could keep him safe.
Not only to prevent Raph from hurting anyone else with his paranoia delusions and possible rising anger, but to also save him from the pain when he comes back to his senses.
Irritated Raph response to Leo was a spit in the face, leaving the leader upset and disappointed, spieling some sappy story on how Donnie will make him better, and he has to be patient.
Holding back the gag reflexes that went to overdrive over this too sweet drama performance, Raph ignored him refusing to look at Leo in the end.
As a resulted, Leo left him alone, not ushering him a word.
Raph closing his eyes, steady his breathing, pasting the pieces together of all he knew up to this point over this dilemma that has torn into his family.
So were they Doppelgangers?
No that didn't make sense when it came to Leo at least, his brother soul was taken out of his body, which is what Raph concluded after seeing that blue orbs.
That must have been Leo's soul for what came out of the doll replacing the pure, gentle sapphire orbs was twisted and vile.
Raph could feel that black smoke inside Leo when the brother touches him, even in his eyes, Raph could see it, and can't see his brother there anymore.
Then what about Donnie? How did Donnie get replaced? There was no way Donnie's soul was placed into a doll, for that would mean someone did it to him, and it appeared Donnie was the ringleader of this circus act...
Slamming his head back, Raph wanted to scream; he had nothing concrete to go on to even consider a way to fix this mess!
There was nothing to go on, just speculations, and even if they were true, what good would it do for him now.
(Damn it I was such an idiot! I should have stopped Leo in offering his blood; I should have been more persistent in how Donnie was acting... This is all my fault...)
"Raph?!" Mikey gasped at the open doorway horrified in seeing his brother chain up like some wild animal.
Quickly, Mikey closed the door behind him rushing to Raph's side, getting a glare from the older brother.
(Great, now they send him in, to pull my heart strings! Do they think that ploy will work?!)
Kneeling down Mikey's eyes widened, hurt over the look that Raph was giving him, "Dude its me Mikey... What is going on?"
Mikey attempted to put his hand on Raph's shoulder, having the big brother back away harshly, "Raphie... please don't do this to me bro... First Leo tells me they had to lock you up in your room… Because… Because, you attacked Casey… at his place almost beating him to death!"
(What! I didn't do that!) Raph pressed forward turning red by his anger.
Placing his hands out, seeing how frustrated and irked Raph was, Mikey gulped rubbing his arm nervously.
(Damn, I need to cool my jets.) Taking a breath, Raph let his body ease up flopping back down as the little brother became less frightful towards him.
Continuing Mikey fidgeted with his fingers, "Then... they brought Karai here with no blindfold! She was talking about something on the line about some kind of poison... I know Leo told me to go to my room, I... I had a weird feeling and followed them and… and they were chaining her up threatening her she had to give them her blood only then she will be permitted to leave."
Trembling, the tears started to roll down Mikey's face, "There was something wrong with the both of them! Their eyes," shaking his head like he was trying to make the image to vanish; Mikey started to whimper loudly, "They were black Raph! Black... I don't know what to do... are you like them?"
(They haven't got to him yet... Ah shit I can't believe I abandon Mikey!)
Shaking his head, Raph nudged it to one side in hopes Mikey would notice the pad and pen on the night stand.
Mikey slowly gets to his feet, fetching them; the young brother placed the pen in Raph's mouth, not the first choice Raph would have picked yet he didn't complain even if he could barely scribble on the pad.
I'm me!
For a moment Mikey stared at the pad debating the words that was the chicken scratch, finally with a nod, Mikey picked the lock, that he did a better job since he had the proper tools in doing so.
Once free Raph broke down, grabbing Mikey pulling him in tight hugging his brother, he wouldn't be caught dead showing such an affection any other given day, but at the moment he didn't care.
(I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for leaving you behind... I'm such a shell for brains!)
"Raphie..." Mikey slowly asked yet didn't want Raph to stop; it's been a while since Mikey experienced this from his hotheaded brother, and it was comforting he hasn't lost all three of his brothers leaving some hope in him.
Grabbing the pad, Raph quickly jotted down what he was wondering.
Where are Leo and Donnie right now?
"They were still with Karai the last time I looked, in Leo's meditation room. Why, what should we do?" Mikey eagerly asked.
First, we need to go to Donnie's lab and find Leo's doll with his soul in it.
Mikey's jaw dropped as he rubbed his eyes to see if he read that wrong, while the fear clawed at the little brother, "Leo's soul! Raphie what... what the shell!"
Calm down Mikey there is no time to explain just trust me.
Feeling uneasy Mikey nodded slowly, how did this turn to be looking for a doll that had Leo's soul in it, how was that even possible, none of his books ever talk about this...
As Raph suspected the lab was empty with no hellish light in the back room, the other brothers figuring he was still leashed up his room and Mikey would have listened to Leo's orders, never would consider them walking around unattended.
This was the perfect time to find that doll and then figure out how to save both Leo and Donnie.
Raph could have put in motion a plan to capture the fakes, but without the knowledge of the whereabouts of Leo's soul or where Donnie was, the fakes had leverage that could be used against Mikey and him.
He couldn't let them be in such a situation; it could spell defeat and the fakes in winning.
The lab large as it was Raph started to doubt this plan as it stands; this was going to be a needle in a haystack.
"Raphie where should we start bro?" Mikey eyed the rows of shelves that would take forever to sift through, and time wasn't plentiful to be wasted on possible dead ends.
Placing his hand under his chin Raph bit his lip, that was the question. Where was a good place to start?
Then it hit him, the back room, every time he saw Donnie it was in that room; he must have his things set up there, besides it was obvious he wouldn't be hiding it out of plain sight for the fake brother thinks he has everything under his control.
The back room.
Reaching the back room the brothers stared at it in awe, the once lab that house many inventions was a scene of some horror movie with voodoo dolls in the making, a long wooden table was cast to one side with many different instruments of the likes Raph has never seen.
The center of the room on the floor was this odd shape symbol, with its main ring that had three other circles attached that were connected by lines making a triangle in the middle.
There were weird marking amongst the circles.
The thing that caught Raph's eye than anything else was this purple crystal that glowed, placed on the wooden table.
With the surrounding scenery, it was the only thing that didn't want his skin to crawl; it was peaceful in a way, warming than anything.
"Bro, we are still in the lair right?" Mikey squeak, making sure to stick very close to his big brother.
We are not in Kansas any more Toto. Raph gave a smirk as Mikey frowned on the reference.
"Why do I have to be Toto?" Mikey complained, feeling like this scenario with The Wizard of Oz seemed oddly familiar.
Shrugging Raph avoided the circle not comfortable getting too close to the demonic graffiti.
"What do you think half of this stuff is?" Mikey poked the jars full of black mist, trailing his finger over some books baffled by them.
Don't know.
Examining the crystal felt oddly familiar to him, as if something about it was reaching out to him.
His eyes following the glow that the crystal cast, it hovered over a wooden box that had the exact same symbol on the floor carved on the lid.
(Should I open it?)
Mustering his courage hiding the pending fear that was building up for Mikey's sake, Raph took the corner of the lip slowly raising it seeing its contents in surprise.
There were three voodoo dolls, unlike the others that were here and there, these one resembled not only Mikey, but him and Leo's doll was there too!
Mikey's and his doll were incomplete with the chest wide open, yet his had stitches where the mouth was.
(Is this why I can't speak!)
Finding a knife on the side Raph aimed it at the stitches.
(If I cut them, I should be able to speak again right? What did the movies always make these doll out to be? ... Oh Right whatever happens to the doll happens to the one it looks like?)
"Raph wait!" Mikey suddenly erupted, taking the knife out of Raph's hand, "Dude, I don't think that is a good idea, look what I found."
Passing a very old book with sticky notes pasted all over it, they appeared to be in Donnie's handwriting.
Was this, our Donnie or the fake?
"I don't know, but read what it says!" Mikey excitedly pointed at some of the main translations, since the book itself was written in a dialect that wasn't English or earth like.
Casting his eyes over it, Raph felt the pit of his stomach started to twist and turn.
**The crystal of shadows was a tool used by the doppelganger of great darkness to unleash his mischief and misery. Eventually this horrifying creature being defeated, his own crystal was used against him, casting him into it as his eternal prison. Unlike most doppelgangers this particular one can replace anyone it wishes, living the life of its copy until death then moves onto another. He was foresaw as death itself, a god in some cultures. Years of consuming other's lives trapping the original into the crystal; the doppelganger grew in strength creating a void through the veil of darkness that trapped his brethren, his kin. Unlike him, his kin wasn't powerful enough to replace someone, only possesses a suitable body sacrificed to them. To perform such a task merely the doppelganger can do, by collecting the blood of a volunteer, placing it into a doll to switch the host's soul out to be replaced by one of his kin.**
(Shit) Raph shivered, was this what was happening? So Leo soul is in the doll as he suspected after all!
"Raphie did you see this note here," Mikey pointed to another note waiting for his brother to catch up.
**The great hero who defeated the doppelganger, traded a sample of blood with one of his own kin, the hero protected by the bloodline took down the doppelganger casting it back to the crystal to slumber.***
We need to exchange vials of blood?
"Yeah, it looks like it seems simple, but right now what else do we have to go on?" Mikey sighed, searching for something to use, hoping the fake Donnie had a needle considering he was taking people's blood.
Nervously Raph looked towards the archway, then back to Mikey; part of him didn't want to do this, why did it have to be blood... the same thing that thing wants?
Taking account of the brother tension, Mikey smiled, grabbing the needle, placing it in Raph's hand, "How about I go first. I trust you Raph that you're not one of them."
Slowly nodding Raph swallowed hard piercing the needle into Mikey's arm, who stayed still and calm during it.
With a vial of his brother's blood, Raph placed it in his belt, placing the used needle down as Mikey took a clean one putting his hand out for Raph to give him his arm.
(Just exchanging of blood that's all... Mikey's doll isn't complete, so he is still him.)
"Come on Raphie, we don't have all day," Mikey whined impatiently.
Licking his lip, Raph was going to nod when he heard it.
"DON'T DO IT RAPH!" Donnie's voice boomed around Raph making him jump suddenly scrambling back from Mikey quickly as the brother looked at him surprised tilting his head at Raph.
"Raphie? Dude, what is wrong?" Mikey said calmly.
Shaking his head, Raph swung his hand in front of him before writing on his pad.
Get away! I will not do it!
"Raph what has gotten into you! We have to hurry..." Mikey stepped forward, reaching out to Raph.
Slapping his hand way, Raph turned towards the archway, feeling the dread clawing at him.
Crossed that Mikey failed, Donnie stared at the young turtle coldly, "I thought you said this would work brother."
Chuckling lightly Mikey shrugged, "Can't help it dude, he isn't as stupid as you claim he is. Man he saw right through me even with all the evidence stacking against him, telling him I'm Mikey."
"I told you we needed to handle him differently Don-nie!" Leo hissed merging out of the shadows.
Waving his brother's ignorance to the side, Donnie shook his head, "I see that Leo! Do I have to remind you where your place is? I can always cast you back into the shadows once again if you question my methods once more with your know it all ways"
"Raph listen to me... Raph you misinterpreted the notes! The hero didn't exchange blood with his own kin, but the kin of this thing and himself! The crystal is his blood, his essence, Raph! You have the blood of one of his kin, use it!" Donnie's voice whimpered into Raph's ear, while he watched the fakes arguing amongst each other, as the ringleader told his brother where to go.
Turning quickly on the ball of his heel, Raph rushed towards the crystal catching the attention of the false Donnie as his eyes widen by Raph sudden esthetic aura.
"What is he doing, stop him!" the fake Donnie demanded, unsure what antics Raph was up to now.
Giving him the finger Raph smirked popping the lid on the tube with the blood in it.
Instantly the doppelganger curse in horror, screaming at the top of his lungs seeing the red blood with a black tinge being poured onto the purple crystal.
"NO! This can't BE!"
Music to his ears to hear the foul thing that dared to impersonate his brother, Raph didn't take notice both Mikey and Leo body checking him to the ground hard.
RING ~ RING ~ RING
The air polluted by the annoying sounds of the curse ring of an alarm clock, Raph moaned, reaching out for his said; another one was looking forward to join the others that wanted to wake the beast.
Target destroyed with little effort on his part, Raph sighed in bliss snuggling his pillow to his beak.
The past week after the invasions of the doppelganger and its possessing dolls of... of some horror movie reference, Raph was taking it easy, and not one brother was complaining.
Once the blood washed over the crystal it shattered releasing the real Donnie just at the same moment the fake disappeared not before leaving the unmistakable hissing and cursing this wasn't over dialogue. Then poof!
"Raphie?" Mikey hung around the doorway, holding back the impulse to jump the brother with a happy good morning let's see what level I can achieve with your anger gauge.
"Breakfast?" Raph yawned peaking over his shoulder.
Nodding the young turtle beamed, "Waffles topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries."
"K, Mikey let me wake up first, then I will be right there," Raph waved his hand to tell the brother to bugger off.
With a fine breakfast that his stomach agreed was well worth the time to devour, Raph left the table falling into his regular routine with the showers last before heading into Donnie's lab.
"Raph your late," Donnie scolded becoming serious, it was that time of the month where the doctor in the house does his normal rounds refilling their blood supply in case of emergencies, with other tests to follow.
"Yeah, yeah, Don," Raph charmed, waiting, getting a raised eyebrow from his brother.
"Raphael how many times do I have to simply instruct you to address me as Donnie or Donatello! Anything then Don!"
Barking a laugh, Raph snatched the urn cup from Donnie heading to the bathroom, "Oh, sorry Mr. Sensitive, I will remember to call you everything under the sun as long it's not Don!"
Growling Donnie narrowed his eyes frustrated, "That is not what I was implying! Are you listening to me Raph?"
"What was that Donnie? I can't hear you over me pissing into this cup," Raph yelled over his shoulder, while he did his business.
The silence coming from the purple clad turtle, Donnie rolled his eyes turning around, "Raph, I guess a door is beyond your comprehension to close when going to the washroom?"
"Nope, just wanted to make this more painful for you, making it easier on me," Raph placed the full cup on the desk.
"Sure... Give me your arm, I need to take some blood samples before getting you to donate your blood to restock your blood bags, considering your predicable foolishness when fighting that gets you injured in the end; I wouldn't be surprised you use it before next month… Maybe I should store up two this time around?" Donnie scolded then smirk seeing the hint of annoyance in Raph stance.
"Just make it quick Donnie, I promise to go out patrolling with Casey tonight."
Taking the blood, Donnie turned around, heading towards his desk as Raph rubbed his arm.
"Yes, that..."
One, two, Stitch the arms;
Three, four, Open the chest;
Eyes widen Raph snapped a look at Donnie, "Donnie did you say something?"
Five, six, Pick up herb sticks;
Seven, eight, stuff them right in;
The room becoming colder, Raph watched in horror as Donnie slowly turned around with a devilish satisfied grin on his face, while holding a doll that represented him, pouring the vile of blood into it.
Nine, ten, then add some blood from them;
Eleven, twelve, Close it up;
"No!" Raph scrambled off the bed feeling his body becoming heavy.
Thirteen, fourteen, sew in the eyes;
Fifteen, sixteen, make it look like them;
"How is this possible! I stopped you!" Raph collapsed to the floor, barely able to stand anymore feeling the sharp pressure on his chest.
"We led you to believe you did. You really think this whole time you were in control? We wanted you to think you had everything under wraps over your own actions and fate. First, we made you paranoid acting a bit off character enough to notice, but not too much to realize something was wrong. We figured you would be the hardest one of the three brothers who would simply give his blood without question," Leo beamed placing his foot on Raph's shell preventing him from continuing is a fruitless act to reach Donnie to stop this.
"So we planted the seeds in your head about what was going on, yes it was all true, what we are, what we did to your brothers, but we knew you would question what you were experiencing slowly braking you down. All the easier to manipulate you into thinking you defeated us. Then we allow you to have a normal week, acting just like your brothers to every detail with no hints of something off about us. You fell for it!" Mikey laughed out loud rocking in a chair near by licking his lips, "Oh our little brother has been very patient for you Raphael! He will enjoy using your body as his new vessel!"
"What!?" Raph screamed at Leo, while he desperately tried to get out under this fake's foot.
Seventeen, eighteen, replace them one by one;
Feeling like his body consumed by chaos, he had no control over it anymore as it vibrated uncontrollably.
(No this can't be happening! NO! …. NOOOOOOO!)
In horror, Raph could feel his soul being ripped out through his mouth.
Nineteen, twenty, My brethren will live and they shall die.
Fin...
-?-
The void was all he could see and knew of now, this endless sea of darkness before him that became his reality. His body, if he could call it that, or was it his soul, was stuck in this twisted dead tree that has been consuming him ever since he came here. How long has it been? How much time has passed? With no way to tell it felt like ages… When would this tree finally claim him erasing him from existence? With no one around, he has been so alone, feeling first hand that saying you never know what you have until you lost it.
Sighing Raph closed his eyes suddenly hearing a sound that was unnatural for this prison.
(Footsteps?)
Rearing his head up, Raph was shocked in seeing the turtle in front of him. The kid was younger than him by a year or so and was a stranger to him, yet familiar at the same time.
Reaching the tree the white shell turtle with green eyes smiled at him warmly sparking some hope that he swore died out long ago.
"It's nice to finally meet you Raphael. My name is Alex, and I'm here to help you."
To be continue? - Walking amongst New York's Shadows -