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Donatello stares up at the sky. It’s so empty compared to how it was just seconds ago. Or was it minutes? Hours maybe? He’s usually very precise when it comes to time but his internal clock has halted as he stares at the absence above him. All the debris has fallen to the ground with a rumbling sound he wont soon forget, and the pink clouds are unnaturally circled around one spot. The Technodrone was just there.
The hole it came through now closed up but… wasn’t Leonardo still there when it closed? Everything he witnessed seems to support that but… that would mean he’s not here anymore. That would mean Leo’s alone in there. In a prison dimension. With their most dangerous enemy. By himself. But that can’t be true. Because if that’s true then that would mean his twin brother is seconds away from meeting a violent and gruesome end. And according to things he’s read something like that would cause him to have all sorts of emotional reactions that he’s definitely not having.
He turns around and sees his older brother on the ground crying. He notes a piece missing from his tough shell, a detail he hadnt seen until now. When did that happen?
Raph seems to be having those textbook emotional reactions but Donatello is pretty sure he isn’t because that would be the only thing disproving the theory that Leo is gone.
But if Leo is gone that might explain why Donnie’s heart feels like its stopped, and why he feels like he cant move but also like he’s been running for thirty minutes, or why his face feels wet. Wait.. what..? He raises a shaking hand (his hands are shaking?) to his face and feels the liquid on his fingers. He looks down to confirm it and yes. Those are tears.
His chest aches as his racing mind evaluates those symptoms and comes up against the same dilemma as before. If all of that evidence is valid then that means that his brother is gone.
On autopilot he rests a hand on his brothers shell which grounds him somewhat as he tries to ignore the images flashing in his brain. He can’t stop picturing Leo. The way he looked coming out of the Donnie pod, falling to his knees, the overconfidence in his climb up to the top of the Brooklyn bridge, a ridiculously tall stack of pizza boxes perched on his head. How he looks when he’s in pain. What he might look like right now, being beaten to death or torn apart by that alien monster.
The sound of crying snaps him out of his trance. He hears his baby brother’s strangled whimpers and looks to him. Mikey’s hands are outstretched, trying once again to do something mystical as his body racks him with broken sobs. Donnie feels something huge and heavy crush him at the sight.
“Mikey. It’s over.” Donnie hears Raph say. Mikey turns his head back.
“Leo never gave up on us. I’m not giving up on him.”
On that last word Donnie’s eyes widen as he sees his brother begin to spark with golden mystic electricity. It shoots out from him in a sphere and begins to manifest in front of him.
“Woah.” Donnie whispers.
“Mikey whatever you’re doing don’t stop!” Raph says.
Donnie feels a wave of something come over him as he follows Raph in rushing to Mikey’s side. They each put a hand on him to support him as the energy climbs up Mikey’s arms, seeming to burn and crack his skin.
“We’re here Mikey! Together!” Raph says.
Donnie has on hand on his brother and the other in front of himself, bracing against the heat radiating from the ball of mystic energy.
It’s scary, the feeling currently consuming him. Its not the denial he was stuck in moments ago (yes, definitely moments, he was sure now). It’s uncertain, but determined.
Mystic energy surges up through his arm like fire.
Its desperate and feels like walking on a tightrope.
Stronger now and its hurts but he’s glad he’s doing this because there’s no way he would let Mikey bear this alone.
His eyes shoot open and he sees white as he realizes what the feeling is.
The portal is open and he sees his twin, curled up and floating slowly toward them.
It’s Hope.