Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.
Creepy but gorgeous cover created by the awesome Sampsonknight over on Deviant Art.
Responses to guests:
Guestgirl – You'll find out this chapter :-)
Guest from November 3rd: - Now that's what I like to hear! XD Yes, ch 10 is the final chapter but there is also a short epilogue to follow.
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– Snatched –
Ch 10
Leonardo was frantic. He'd had him! The connection he'd established with Michelangelo was tenuous but he'd had him and now Mikey had disappeared. Leo had felt him pushed out of reach by a malevolent force, one that had the familiarity that Doppelmike exuded before he was outed as a body snatching imposter. Leonardo breathed deep and strengthened his resolve to find his brother again.
He had to re-establish mental contact with Mikey before it was too late.
-:-
No! Mikey yelled in fear. Let me out!
Once again he'd gone too far with the home truths, or in some cases mocking, and he'd found himself shunted into that all consuming, terrifying nothingness deep in the bowels of Doppelmike's soul or mind or wherever the shell this abyss was.
Wherever it was, it was so lifeless that Mikey didn't even know how he'd survived being down here the first time, let alone every time since.
There was no light!
No sound!
No sight!
No life!
No hope!
There was simply nothing!
The only thing he'd ever managed to take from this personal hell was the resolve to be stronger, to find a way to master the domain he'd been stuck within but that didn't work in this place. He couldn't project a form or anything else here. He could only ever feel the nothingness eating away at the edges of his sanity every time.
Minutes ago he'd been bolstered by the mental strength of Leonardo, his brother and leader, and now he felt more alone than ever before.
And more than a little scared, because this time, he knew that Doppelmike was never going to let him out.
-:-
Donnie watched Doppelmike weakening even as tears slid down his olive green cheeks. He shuddered, unsure if he would be able to live with himself for what he'd just done but he'd had no choice. It was either let Doppelmike be and Mikey suffer forever or get rid of Doppelmike and put Mikey out of his lonely misery.
"There was no choice!" Donnie whispered, trying desperately to convince himself he'd done the right thing.
"There is... always... a choice..." Doppelmike's fading voice struggled to be heard. "I've had to live with mine and now... you'll have to live... with yours."
The light in Donnie's eyes went hard as he heard those words from the body snatching hypocrite in his brother's dying body.
He watched, his tears drying up as Doppelmike took his last breath. Then Donnie turned his gaze to the dread symbol on Mikey's left hand watching desperately. For a moment there was no change and his heart seemed to stop.
Then suddenly it began to fade!
His dangerous last resort plan had worked!
He'd gotten rid of his brother's tormentor but... at what cost?
Donnie immediately snatched up another syringe, one filled with a combination of adrenaline and the antitoxin for what he'd just used minutes before and held it ready, his sharp gaze never leaving Mikey's left hand.
Finally the marking disappeared completely and Donnie immediately reacted, injecting the concoction into Mikey and working frantically to bring him back.
He only hoped it wasn't too late.
-:-
Mikey suddenly started. He was still trapped in the nothingness but somehow, he thought he'd actually heard something. Staring around in confusion, Mikey hoped that this hell hadn't finally taken the last of his sanity but then he heard it again.
Doppelmike.
'Just thought you'd like to know your family was so desperate to be rid of me that Donnie murdered you with a lethal injection,' the mocking voice explained.
Mikey's non-existent jaw dropped in shock. Not Donnie!
'Enjoy your last moments Mikey, I hope they last forever!' Doppelmike sneered hatefully before suddenly adding, 'I wish I could say having your company was a pleasure but it really wasn't.'
Mikey shuddered as he heard Doppelmike's twisted laugh for the final time and then he was completely alone.
-:-
"Quickly my sons," Splinter addressed Leonardo and Raphael, "we must re-establish mental contact with Michelangelo before it is too late."
"I'm sorry, Master Splinter. I had him and then I lost him," Leonardo apologised guiltily. He'd failed his brother yet again, this time when Mikey had needed him the most and the thought that he may never see him again scared Leo terribly.
"That is not surprising, Leonardo," Splinter reassured, "but if we do not reach him now, we may lose him forever."
"We already have!" Raph spat, his golden eyes flashing with a mixture of fury, fear and sadness. "You just gave Don the go ahead to murder him!"
Splinter regarded Raphael carefully, "Do you think so little of Donatello to believe he would so easily do such a thing?"
Raph's mouth gaped open in shock and hope rose once more.
"We only needed to believe that Donatello would, in order for Doppelmike to also believe it," Splinter continued. "We must hurry though. Connect our minds, hearts and souls and reach out to Michelangelo," he added firmly as he sat on the ground within the Astral Plain.
Leonardo and Raphael sat beside their father in a rough circle and they reached out to their lost brother in the hopes of finding him and guiding him home.
-:-
Instinct told him it hadn't actually been that long but Mikey felt as though he'd been alone in the dark for an eternity; the last thing he'd heard, the only thing, the twisted laughter of his other-dimensional counterpart who'd caused so much grief to so many lives.
Michelangelo stared around, blinking rapidly. He thought it was just his imagination playing tricks but he could have sworn it was getting lighter, that the encroaching darkness was no longer quite so absolute. It was enough to give him hope again though and he soon found himself projecting a form once again.
He took a deep breath and closing his eyes, Mikey began walking towards the light that he could somehow feel better than he could see.
-:-
Donatello slumped into his seat exhausted and stared at his lost brother.
That was it. He'd done all that he could and the rest was up to Michelangelo.
Suddenly out of the corner of his peripheral vision, Donnie caught sight of his father and other brothers and knew it was time to join them.
-:-
Raphael reached out through the ether searching frantically. He could feel his ever-present connection with Master Splinter, Leonardo and now Donatello bolstering him, increasing his ability to reach out but the one person he couldn't sense was Michelangelo and it was as if there was a gigantic hole in their collective soul. Being in the Astral Plain together like this just wasn't right with one family member missing.
"Come on, Mikey!" Raph called desperately. "You're too damned annoyin' to be gone for good!"
-:-
Mikey paused mid step. For a moment he'd been sure he heard a voice calling out to him but it had been so faint that he might have just been hearing things. Still, he dug deep and listened intently.
"... amned annoyin' to be gone for good!"
And he laughed. Stretching out with everything he had, he connected tenuously with his brother's mind and soul.
Suddenly Mikey felt a welcome warmth spread throughout him, like the mental hands of a loved one wrapping gently around and drawing him in and he let himself be pulled in toward that reassuring mental embrace.
-:-
He was slow to wake, his mind rousing gradually to a comforting feeling reminiscent of waking up in a warm, cozy bed on a cold, rainy Sunday morning. Having no desire to dispel the pleasant dreamy feeling, Mikey continued to simply lay there with his eyes closed, soaking up the much missed warmth. After a while, he frowned in confusion, wondering just why the feeling felt much missed when it suddenly hit him. The awful memories of those hellish three months came flooding back unbidden and his eyelids shot open in terror.
For a few minutes, Mikey lay there blinking and breathing rapidly as he adjusted to the soft muted light of the infirmary when he finally realised he was seeing what he wanted to look at. He was no longer relying on the hope that a body snatcher would bother to look at what he wanted.
He could actually see!
He could smell!
He could touch!
He could taste!
His mouth tasted like the bottom of a birdcage.
Mikey laughed lightly in delight, savouring the terrible taste and looked around properly, both ecstatic and concerned by the sight of his entire family surrounding him, draped out and fast asleep over chairs scrounged and dragged in from various rooms. He tried to reach out a hand to his nearest brother but found he was way too tired and achy all over to manage. He didn't care about the feeling though, after all he could actually feel his own body again and that made the pain completely worth it.
He looked at each member of his exhausted family, his gaze lingering on each and then, his own tiredness overtaking him again whispered, "I love you guys," before letting his eyelids slide closed, falling back to sleep once more with a faint smile still on his face.
Raphael stirred and sat up, blinking blearily. For a moment he'd thought he'd heard a voice but in his fatigue he wasn't sure. He took a deep breath and looked anxiously towards Michelangelo as if to make sure he was actually still there. Then he saw the smile on his brother's face and relaxed at the sight. Raph reached out and took the hand that was partially extended his way before also returning to sleep.
-:-
When Mikey awoke the next time, the lights were still muted and all he could hear was the soft clacking of fingers rapidly dancing across a keyboard. Mikey immediately turned his head towards the sound and smiled as he called out in a rough voice, "Hey Donnie."
Donnie's head darted up in surprise and his face lit up with happiness upon seeing Mikey's smiling face looking back at him. "Mikey! You're finally awake!" He shot to his feet and rushed over, his laptop forgotten on the desk.
"Heh! Yeah, guess I am bro." Mikey winced slightly, touching a hand to his throat. "How long?"
Donnie automatically handed Mikey a cup of water, reminding his brother to drink it slowly. "You've been out for a couple of days. Honestly, if you were out much longer, I would have had to put you on a drip," he explained. "Though Raph said he was sure you'd woken up at one point."
Mikey watched Donnie carefully as he savoured the soothing sensation of the cool liquid trickling down his throat. "Did he?"
"You don't remember?"
Mikey shrugged lightly, "I'm not sure... maybe. I feel like I dreamed waking up for a few minutes or so but it's so vague that I just don't really know."
"What is the last thing you clearly remember?"
"You guys trying to save me and then I mouthed off to Doppelmike again." Mikey gave a humourless chuckle before continuing, "He got so pissed off that he pushed me back into the nothingness again..." His voice had started off at normal volume but trailed off in a whisper by the end.
"I... dunno how long I was stuck there but it felt like forever. I can't... couldn't do anything there, Donnie. Couldn't see, couldn't hear... didn't even have any sort of control to make an astral body for myself there or touch anything around me..." By this stage Mikey was shaking as he spoke but he kept going anyway, needing to get it out, needing to have someone actually listening to him! "I was completely cut off from everyone and everything. At least when I was only trapped in the back of his mind I could still see and hear you guys."
"Oh Mikey, I'm so sorry." Donnie moved closer and wrapped his arm around Mikey's shoulder, drawing him close comfortingly.
Mikey shook his head, snuggling in closer, "You've got nothing to be sorry for bro, I'm the one who kept on pushing him... Sometime later, he spoke to me again for the last time, mocking me as he passed on." Mikey turned his head to look up at Donnie. "He said you'd killed me. Was that true, Donnie?" he asked plaintively.
Donnie hesitated then nodded sadly. "It was the only way to get rid of him but I did it fully intending to bring you back immediately," he reluctantly admitted. "I'm truly sorry it came to that, Mike."
"Is that why I feel so awful and achy now, Don?"
Donnie nodded. "I would say that's likely. Would you like something to dull the pain?"
"No."
"No? You sure you're really our Mikey?"
Mikey chuckled, "Seriously bro, I spent so long unable to feel anything that I don't want anything dulled right now."
"Alright," Donnie unenthusiastically replied. "But if it gets too much, please ask for help, don't just suffer through it."
Mikey smiled then leaned his head on Donnie's shoulder. "I will, thanks. Honestly though, death would have been better than what he did to every other Michelangelo he took over... what he would have done to me eventually."
"I understand," Donnie said softly.
Mikey shook his head without removing it from Donnie's shoulder. "No, you don't. No one does."
"I didn't mean what you are feeling or what you went through, Mikey, just..."
"It's okay bro, I know."
"Did you... did you want to talk about it?"
"No!" Mikey immediately replied with a distinct shudder.
"You realise you are going to need to eventually," Donnie pointed out softly, giving Mikey's shoulder a light squeeze.
"Yeah, I know but not right now, okay?" Mikey pleaded and at Donnie's nod continued. "It's just too fresh Don. I... I keep thinking that being here, having my life back is just a dream and I'll wake up any second to find myself right back in that living nightmare."
"I promise you Mikey, this isn't a dream," Donnie reassured gently.
"Yeah? But how can I be so sure about that? Dream Donnie would probably say that too!" Mikey whimpered, his voice becoming more panicky as he spoke.
Donnie chuckled quietly. "Well you said it yourself in your letter to Leo. You weren't able to sleep while you were there so how could you still be there and dream this?"
Mikey pulled away enough to sit up straight but didn't break the desperately needed reassurance of touch. "Master Splinter's forever telling me off for daydreaming," he joked, looking at his brother.
Donnie laughed and rubbed Mikey's head hard, "Wrong kind of dream and you know it, you goof!"
"Heh! Yeah but you get my point," Mikey chuckled, relishing the almost noogie. "Hey... where's everyone else anyway?"
"They're training right now," Donnie admitted, sobering
"Oh... Why aren't you with them then?" Mikey asked curiously, trying hard to cover up his disappointment that the others were off training. He was however extremely glad at least someone was here with him when he woke.
"Honestly, after everything you have been through in the last three months, none of us wanted to leave you alone so we've been taking turns to stay with you," Donnie explained softly. "Though most of the time there has been more than one of us, if not all of us here."
"Thanks, Donnie," Mikey smiled gratefully.
"Would you like me to get everyone else?" Donnie offered.
Mikey nodded eagerly, "Definitely!"
Donnie stood, pulling away and headed for the door while Mikey watched with a rapidly increasing irrational anxiety. When Donnie opened the door and stepped out, Mikey freaked. He just couldn't help it!
"Don't leave me alone!" he shrieked in uncontrolled panic.
He tried to get up from the infirmary cot but collapsed within a couple of steps, his recovering body still weak from the poison that had killed him. Before he could hit the ground, Donnie was beside him, catching and hauling him back to his feet. Moments later a still panicky Michelangelo found himself back in bed and clutching desperately at Donnie.
"I'm sorry, I just... I..." Mikey was all but sobbing.
"It's okay Mikey. I'm sorry. You seemed okay and I would have been right back," Donnie apologised profusely as he worked to calm his brother down.
Mikey shook his head, slowly getting his breathing back under control. "Just... call the others but please Donnie, I don't want to be alone again. I can't..."
Donnie stared down at Mikey in bemusement, "No one's going to hear me calling from in here."
Mikey chucked slightly, though even that much was forced, "Shell-cell, dude."
Surprised and annoyed over missing the obvious, Donnie shook his head and made the call. A couple of minutes later, Leo and Raph burst into the infirmary with Splinter following at a more sedate pace and while Mikey felt a little overwhelmed after being denied so long, he lapped up the resulting attention happily.
Eventually Donnie left to get soup for Mikey and Leo leant in close, asking softly, "Are you alright, Mikey?"
'No, I'm not.' Mikey knew right now he really wasn't. He'd probably have nightmares galore and continue to have panic attacks at the mere thought of being alone for quite some time and while he was ecstatic that Doppelmike was gone from his life, he worried for the Michelangelo of the next dimension Doppelmike ended up in, however things were at least looking up. He had his body and his life back, his family knew what had happened, had managed to save him and were now going out of their way to make up for lost time. Yes, he was definitely not okay right now but in time he had every confidence he would be.
"I will be."
-:-
Epilogue still to come