I'm very glad to see that so many of you are enjoying the concept of this story thus far! It truly does mean a lot to me—especially when you consider the shear fact that so many other stories are being updated at the same time.

So thank you very much for your reviews and support everyone! I hope that you all can stay with me a little longer on this ride ;)

TMNT, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter, and the Foot © Mirage Studios
story © Turtlefreak121

Flicker
Chapter Two: Lost

Leaning over the door frame, Raphael released a distinct growl of irritation. He wasn't any more content with the situation than he had been five minutes before. So while everyone else turned the Lair upside down, he remained in the driver's seat of the Sewer Slider.

He was waiting.

Leonardo and Donatello searched the most desperately, pursuing the item like it was the Grail.

When he opened the desk drawers for the third time, Leo let out an audible sigh and looked back to his frantic brother. "Donny, none of these drawers?"

And like every time before, Don released an agitated "I don't know!"

Shaking his head, the leader began to scoot aside the contents of the drawers, half-heartedly questing for the item now that it was more obvious how futile their search was becoming. "Well, when's the last time you saw them? You drove last night so it can't be that far."

"You're not listening to me!" don growled almost viciously in return. By the time Leo turned to give him a puzzled look, the brainy turtle chucked some cardboard boxes full of science magazines and articles across the floor. Don was in a near frenzy. "I don't know!"

"Sure he doesn't," Raph grouched from the vehicle. He was giving an irritable look Don's way. "He just doesn't want me taking his new and improved toy out on a run."

Taking the bait almost immediately, Don faced Raph and shouted, "I don't know where it is, Raph!"

"Bullshit!"

"Alright, Raph, that's enough!" Leo snapped as he slammed the desk drawers shut. "You could always get off your high horse and help us find the keyes if you really cared that much."

Don was beginning to pale as he scratched the left side of his scalp. An expression of complete loss overtook him, and desperation was leaking more and more in by the minute.

Leo just felt his own worry increase as he watched his brother. Keys didn't seem worth getting that torn up over.

"Stop worrying, Don," Leo said shortly. He threw Raph another warning look. "We could use some more helping hands – and that goes for you and for," Leo stepped back, arching toward the lab door, "You, too, Michelangelo!"

"Hey! I'm searching!" Mike yelled back. he shifted more on the couch and began clicking around on the remote. "Not on this channel. Not on this channel. Not on this channel.'

Leo glared at their youngest brother before realizing Don was back at his side, rubbing his arm nervously.

"I don't know where it is, Leo," he said, voice tight. "I really don't."

Baffled, Leo turned to his brother and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I get it, Don. It's alright. Really. It's not that big of a deal." Looking around the lab, Leo tried desperately to lock onto any sort of clue. "Did you check on any of your experiments before going to bed?"

Don's eye ridges creased. "No."

Leo looked at him studiously. "You didn't? For sure?"

Donatello grew another sickly look before shaking his head. His eyes scattered around the room nervously, checking everything that wasn't one of his brothers. "No…" he admitted slowly. "I mean… I don't remember."

Staring at his brother, Leo felt a strange, foreign fear in his stomach. He had no earthly idea what was happening with Don.

Slowly, Leo asked, "You don't remember anything after you came in last night, do you?"

Taking a collective breath, Don looked to Leo, eyes blown wide. "I don't remember coming in last night."

The information struck Leonardo like a lightning bolt. He wasn't sure how to process the information, not sure what it could mean.

He looked back to Raphael only to be met by his hotheaded brother's utter disbelief. "Oh bull–"

"That is quite enough, Raphael."

Leo looked to the door and watched as Master Splinter walked in, Mikey at his heels. Their master stopped and looked directly to Raph as he continued. "Your brother came home late. It is expected that a few memories are clouded with tiredness."

For his part, Don did not look so sure. "But I don't remember anything!" Every word he said was followed by hollow realization written all across his face. Donatello was freaking out. "I… I don't even remember leaving LeatherHead's. At all. I… I don't remember where I left the keys–"

Shrugging, Mikey replied, "Well, you had to have them to drive. So no big deal. They're around. We don't have to find them right now."

"Yeah we do!" Raph growled, finally leaping over the side of the Slider and making his way to the group. "I want to take her for a spin. And I bet you the minute I'm gone or give up, Donny'll drop this whole charade and whip out his keys again."

Master Splinter's tail thrashed the ground like a whip. "Raphael, I said that was enough," he warned.

But Don had already raised to the bait. "I wouldn't do something like that, Raph! I'd just tell you no."

Seeing the need to end things fast, Leo stepped in. "It's not that important, Don," he promised. "We'll just use a spare for now–"

Rounding on Leo with unexpected brashness, Don gnashed his teeth and yelled, "I don't want to use a spare key, Leo! I want my keys! Why aren't you paying attention to me!?"

The lab grew silent. Leo felt like his eye ridges were raising above his mask as he looked back at Don.

Mikey broke the silence with a low, "Whoa, dude… chill."

Don's angry gaze would not leave Leo's face, even as Master Splinter stepped to Don's side and gently took Don's hand into his. "You are not in good health, Donatello. Come. Lie down for a while."

Without looking their father's way, Don pulled his hand back. Finally, at least, he looked away from Leo, letting the oldest feel like he could breathe again.

"I don't need to lie down," Don replied almost sourly. "I need my keys…" He rubbed his forehead. "And an aspirin. That's it."

Latching onto that bit of news, Leo dared to step forward again. "If you have a headache, you really should lie down and rest for a bit–"

Almost immediately, Don angrily turned back on Leo. "You are giving me a headache. So back off and leave me alone, will you!?"

Finally giving up, Leo raised his hands and shook his head. "Fine. Do whatever. I don't care. Just do it, Don't care."

Without another word, Don stormed out of the lab and went toward the kitchen, leaving his incredibly perplexed brothers and father.

Mikey scratched at his head. "What the shell?"

Raph looked to Leo. "You're gonna let him get away with that?" he asked critically.

Leo glared at Raph. "Stop making it worse," he warned.

"What am I possibly doing that could make it worse?" Raph demanded just before there was a crash and uncharacteristic scream of "FUCK" from the kitchen.

All at once, the family mobilized. They raced to the kitchen before arriving and seeing Don, head bowed, fist through the door of the microwave. Everyone was positively astonished, as encapsulated by Mikey's "Holy shit, dude."

Don stood there for a moment before blinking and pulling his hand out of the microwave door. He looked at his family expectantly. "I can't find my keys."

No one could manage a single word in response.

Leo waited as Don grabbed a towel, wetted it, and wrapped his cut knuckles before heading back out to the kitchen and toward the sewer door. He wasted no time in chasing after his brother as he realized what Don was doing.

"Don! Wait!" Leo shouted. "Where are you going?"

Don stopped and looked at Leo incredulously. "I gave LeatherHead the spare. I'm going over to his place to get it back." He then turned right back for the door.

Immediately, Leo reached to stop his brother only for Splinter's arm to intercept him. Leo looked for an explanation from his father before watching as Don left them through the sewer door. Leo felt his chest clench painfully.

"Donatello needs time alone," Splinter announced darkly. "We shall honor that for the time being."

"But, Master Splinter, he's hardly acting like Don," Raph said back. "Seriously, did you see the microwave? Something's screwy with him right now–"

"Master Splinter said for now, Raph. Not forever, so drop it," Leo snapped bitterly. He shot a dirty glare his brother's way. "Hope your stupid keys are worth it."

Mike just frowned. "I dunno, I'm with Raph. Maybe one of us should tail Don. Y'know. Make sure he's okay." He paused and looked warily to Leo. "Well, maybe you shouldn't, Leo. He might kill you if he sees you."

"Hush," Master Splintered beckoned, turning to face all three of them at once. "Donatello travels a familiar path to the home of a good and trusted friend. Leave him be. It is what he needs from us for now." he paused and raised his brows. "That and for the three of you to clean the mess made in search of these keys while he is out. Is that understood?"

They ducked their heads. "Yes, Master."

Waiting, they watched as Splinter went back to his room. The three remaining brothers then looked curiously at each other.

"So," Mike said. "Donny said a bad word."

Shaking their heads, Leo and Raph headed off to start cleaning broken glass and thrown around magazines. There was an unspoken agreement to bring neither back up when Don returned.

There were lights and noise – to many noises and they came out of nowhere. It was like waking up behind a jet engine.

He didn't know how he got there. He didn't know where he was going. Butwhy?

Why didn't he know where home was?

The crossing lane was blaring horns at people walking by. And for a moment, without a disguise, he was tempted to join them.

But there was something wrong there. Something wrong with him.

He turned the corner and looked for a street sign.

When he found it, he was horrified.

It was so familiar, but he couldn't read it.

Even with the television on, Michelangelo found himself staring at the clock, the walls, his brothers. He was watching anything but the television and it was maddening.

It was maddening because two hours had passed and Don was still not back.

As the second hour drew to a close, Master Splinter entered the living area quietly. His face was troubled as he looked between each and every one of them. It was like he was counting, hoping their fourth would miraculously be present.

Because while enough time had passed to cause worry, it wasn't enough to justify searching yet to an angry Donatello.

It was so quiet someone could have heard a pin drop until Leo's shellcell began vibrating in his belt, startling all of them at once.

Mikey leaped out of his seat and scurried to Leo's side. Raph moved forward almost begrudgingly. They all watched as Leo quickly flipped the phone on and held it up to his ear.

"Hello!?" Leo questioned hopefully. A look of relief came across his face. "Don!"

At once, the tension broke across the room. Mikey released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Everything had to be fine.

But Leo didn't give them a nod or a wave to further their ease their concerns. Instead, Leo's brow furrowed and he brought his other hand up to hold the phone as well.

"I'm sorry… What was that?" he asked hesitantly. "Well, what do you see?"

Quietly, Mikey looked to the others, but they seemed at just as much of a loss.

"That's not a very good description," Leo said lowly before turning away from them completely. "Do you see any stores? What about really tall buildings? Anything?"

Feeling very unsettled, Mike looked to Raph instead.

Raphael scowled and stepped forward, tapping on Leo's shoulder vigorously only for Leonardo to snap and point at Raph to move before holding his cell closer to his head.

"Okay, calm down," Leo said soothingly. "We'll come to you… How? I'll use the trackers in our phones… You built them, I don't think anyone else can use it… Yeah." The leader's eye ridges furrowed further as he continued. "Okay. You'll be fine. Just stay in the shadows where you are."

Leo hung up and stared at his phone as he brought it down from his head.

"What happened?" Mike blurted out.

Already with his Sai in his hands, Raph growled, "Was it the Foot?"

Blinking absently, Leo finally shook his head to them both.

Master Splinter stepped up between Mike and Raph. He looked carefully collected as he ordered, "Leonardo. Tell me what happened to Donatello."

Slowly, Leo drew his gaze form his phone and, slightly mortified, answered.

"He… got lost."