Chapter 7: Two Different Worlds

"Come on" Donnie mumbled to himself. "Oh for the love of logic!" the genius spat as sparks spat back in his face. "Urgg" pushing himself away from the trouble some device the resident genius ran a tired face down his face. In theory it should be easy to prepare the device that brought their visitors here to return them back home. In theory it made sense, in theory it was easy. In reality it was more complicated. It didn't help that the signal that had caused the transportation was not triggered from Donetello from either dimension. Therefore it was proving difficult to synthesize the reverse process.

"Any progress?" Asked Donetello as he entered the lab carrying two cups of coffee. Yes this endeavor would require a lot of caffeine.

"None yet" Donnie responded.

Donetello just nodded tensely before turning back to work.

Tense wasn't even a good description of how things had been since the arrival of their mirror counterparts. Like the last encounter with the other dimension, the visitor's worlds had shattered when they learned that Leo didn't exist in this world. That, in itself was a tremulous emotional rollercoaster in itself for both sets of brothers. The turtles of this world had been through this before though and were fairly resolved for the emotional rollercoaster ahead having been through this situation before. What they were not prepared for though was for there to be no Leo. To say that the Turtle's of the other world were worried would be the understatement of the year. Even after the two geniuses had established that Leo was most likely back in their home dimension the brother's were emotional. They wanted nothing more than to get back home as quickly as possible. It was a nightmare. No one wanted to admit what they were all worried about.

But immediate return was not achievable. It would take a little bit of time at least. After the rather emotional ordeal the last thing anyone wanted was to sit down but dinner was actually a calming and grounding thing they all needed. Both Mikey's worked their magic to distract everyone and calm them down. Although it was forced, the two orange branded turtles did manage to lift everyone's spirits, even if only slightly.

After dinner the three brothers from the other dimension retreated to the seclusion of the empty room. The brothers of this world tried to make it as comfortable as they could for their guests, but they knew what they really needed was space.

From their pained expressions it didn't take a genius to figure out that the empty storage room was their Leo's room back in their world. That revelation was just another kick to the stomach.

"Leo would probably be checking in right about now." Donetello spoke aloud.

Donnie found his hand absently wandering to the sapphire blue wrap he wore around his arm. The turtle of this world traced the pattern lightly with his hand before resuming his work as his counterpart continued.

"Two coffee breaks, several hours of work and no food." Donetello shook his head. "Yep, his big brother's radar would be on. He wouldn't be at the place of pulling us away from our work, more like he'd drop by with the excuses of checking on our progress. Ask a few questions, genuinely listen, help if he could but his overall goal would be getting us to take a break and actually eat."

The words were like salt in an open wound yet Donnie couldn't help but soak them up. As much as it hurt he couldn't fight that he was curious about the brother he was robbed of ever knowing. His family was everything to him, and Leo, his Leo would have been everything to him too; just as much as Raph and Mikey were.

"Did he ever succeed?" The question came out as a whisper and the genuine interest in his voice even surprised the speaker.

"Actually he has a pretty high success rate." Donetello snickered, his eyes shining with fondness.

To Donnie's surprise the next few hours with his counterpart passed with ease. Between their work Donetello talked about his home world and his brothers. He shared humorous stories about toasters as well as heart touching moments. As the hours passed and progress was made Donnie began to understand what Mikey had said the night before about why they should talk to their counterparts with Leo. It might not have been exactly easy but it did help, just a little bit. And from the look on Donetello's face the resident genius knew it was helping his counterpart as much as it was helping him.

White eyes opened as the train pulled into the station, the clear eyelid giving a dangerous glint to the normally sapphire hue. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that his counterpart was also alert and ready. With a nod a silent communication passed between the two warriors.

Like the shadows disappearing with the rising of the sun, the two mutants slipped out of the storage department even before the train pulled to a full stop at the station. Amidst the hustle and bustle the two turtles slipped into the shadows making a quick trek toward the safety of the rooftops.

Leo let out a relieved breath as his feat stood planted atop the high rise taking in the view of the sparkling city. Although the terrain was unfamiliar and clearly not his comfortable stomping grounds Leo couldn't help but feel more at ease being reconnected with the familiar pulse of the city. In juxtaposition the turtle at his side was fully on-guard as he took in the loud and bright atmosphere around him. Being raised by telepaths and very in-tune with energy Wind feeling both overstimulated and empty. The noise, light and artificial flow of energy was overpowering but the lack of trees weighed heavily on his mind, so used to the telepathic connection that he suddenly found himself pulled from. Almost absently Wind started fiddling with the Krangg amplifiers.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked with concern evident in his voice.

Wind nodded. "I can't sense any trees." he responded lamely.

At times Wind found communication difficult, he had spoken more in the last few days then he had in years. Verbal communication was something he'd used more in his youth before the amplifiers, being mostly around telephats all his life verbal communication wasn't exactly a strong suit. Wind found himself out of his comfort zone in more ways than just the trees.

Leo nodded, feeling sympathy for his counterpart. He didn't completely understand the Orianiansand their customs but he knew coming to the city was difficult on Wind for a number of reasons. Krangg being the main one but also because of how comfortable he was in the woods; the trees being more than just his home but his friends as well.

"Let's go," Leo said solemnly after a moment. The train even with its many stops and sometimes transfers had saved them many days and miles on foot and for that Leo was grateful, they were much closer to New York then he could have hoped for beginning this journey but it was not in any sense of the word close to over. They still had many miles to go in unfamiliar territory and apprehension ate at the back of Leo's mind.

"Ahhh" Mikey yelled. "Help!"

"Mikey!" Raph growled, chasing after his little brother as the orange clad turtle catapulted over the couch to avoid the wrath of his angered older brother.

"What did he do this time?" Donnie asked as the two geniuses came out of the lab, altering the path toward the kitchen for more caffeine and instead joined Michelangelo and Rapheal in the pit.

"Mikey put a cockroach in Raph's oatmeal!" Michelangelo supplied, with way too much enthusiasm for Raphael's comfort. Skeptically Rapheal set his own bowl aside looking at it as if it might bite him.

Both Donnie and Donetello facepalmed.

"Guess I'd better grab the first aid kit." Donnie commented, turning toward the lab. He knew something like this would happen, tensions were high and one way or another it was inevitable that his brothers would blow off some steam.

"Why?" Michelangelo frowned at the comment, looking puzzled. Donnie stopped for a second surprised by the turtle's confusion. Did this vicious cycle not happen in his world?

"What do you mean why?" Donnie commented gesturing toward the chaos which was Mikey catapulting over everything in sight to avoid the red clad turtle.

Michelangelo glanced amusingly over toward the scene, it was odd to watch something he'd experienced countless times. Eh what could a turtle say, humor was his way of lightening the mood and dealing with all the crazy circumstances that came their way. He loved pranking his brothers, always harmlessly of course, and Michelangelo couldn't help it if Raph was the easiest to prank.

"You have to admit this is a common scene, Michelangelo," Donetello commented. "I'm actually relieved that it's your counterpart and not you who riled up a Rapheal."

"Mikey has it coming if you ask me" Raphael commented leaning back. "Cockroaches are just too far."

"Hey, that is a totally harmless prank!" Michelangelo defended his counterpart. "Plus" he snickered, grabbing his stomach as he laughed. "Did you see Raph's face!" He barked out a laugh flipping himself onto his shell to kick his feat in the air, as he laughed. "I'v..I've Never heard..anyone's voice reaches that volume.." Michelangelo cackled. "I think only dogs could hear that scream!"

Raphael crossed his arms feeling annoyed and defensive on behalf of his counterpart. 'Shut up!"

"Calm down you two" Donetello held up his hands, he was not going to let the fight between Mikey and Raph spread to Michelangelo and Rapheal. "Michelangelo you've seen now that your counterpart's prank crossed a line. I hope this comes as a warning and deters you from any such action."

Michelangelo rolled his eyes. "I can think of like a dozen more pranks more creative than that!"

"That's not exactly reassuring," Donnie commented. He was already dreading what it meant to have two Michelangelo's under one roof.

"Uncle, Uncle!" Mikey's voice called from the kitchen where Raph had him bent into a turtle pretzel.

"Say it!"

"Rapheal is cooler than me in every possible way!"

Raphael smiled at the familiar speech and Michealangelo cringed feeling sympathy for his counterpart.

Donetello let out an annoyed sigh.

"Aren't you going to intervene?" asked Michelangelo, surprising the resident genius.

"No?" Donnie turned to face the pleading eyes of the orange clad turtle who was not his brother despite being his mirror image.

"It's best to stay out of it. Experience has taught me that there is no dealing with Raph when he's in this state and Mikey is a war path of his own when he's doctor prankinstein."

Donetello shot his two brothers glances at his counterpart's comment, not really able to deny the claim.

"Yeah, usually I'm only really ever blowing off steam and don't mean anything harmful by it and neither does Rapheal, I'm sure it's the same with your brothers."

"Even so, I don't get in the middle of it."

"I'm guessing this doesn't end with Mikey doing some sort of chore and cleaning up his mess and Raph blowing off some steam in the dojo?" Michelangelo dejectedly asked, his baby blue eyes wide.

"No it usually ends with a prank gone too far and Raph going too far. Usually they both end up punished and doing flips in the dojo." Donnie answered.

Michelangelo hung his head.

"What is going on, in here?!" Splinter's voice cut in over the chaos.

"He started it Sensei" Raph cut in. "He put a cockroach in my food. In my food!"

"It wasn't a live cockroach."

"So? It was still a cockroach" Raph was far from appeased by the small detail. Dead or alive he was still creeped out.

"Silence!" His tail twitching back and forth the ninja master leveled both of his sons with a look. "This is not how teammates..how brothers are supposed to act. Michelangelo, that prank went too far." Mikey bowed his head. "Rapheal you let your anger blind you, what if you accidentally hurt your brother." Raph bowed his head. "Both of you, 100 flips in the dojo now!"

On the couch the turtles winced in sympathy.

"Definitely not our world" Rapheal murmured after a moment.

Surprised Donnie turned his gaze toward Rapheal who was not his brother.

"Leo would have broken that up before that" Donetello supplied with a sigh.

Donnie's eyes widened, surprised by the unexpected insight into these turtles' dynamic.

"What do you mean?"

"It means Fearless always sticks his nose into other turtles' business." Rapheal mumbled.

Donetello let out a sigh. "Our Leo takes his job as the big brother very seriously, ever since we were little he has been a bit of a peacekeeper."

Michelangelo's comment about Raph blowing off steam in the dojo and Mikey cleaning up his mess flashed into Donnie's mind. So Leo's the peacekeeper in their world. Donnie mulled over that tidbit a little, a pain of longing pulling at his heart. Not needing any more clarification Donnie of this world excused himself making his way toward the other end of the couch. Taking a break from the lab he fiddled with the latest device he'd been working on while he observed the three brothers on the other end of the room. Michelangelo was beating Rapheal at Mario kart while Donatello prompted them both on. It was a sight he knew the pit had seen before with him and his two brothers but Donnie couldn't help but wonder what a fourth would look like in that dynamic.