Archive of Our Own ^beta

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“woohoo!” Mikey exclaimed as he spun his skateboard around while he was on it.

“Bravo, Mikey.” Donnie smirked, sitting on the edge with his legs dangling off. His younger brother smiled brightly before planting his feet on the skateboard, letting it roll down the ramp. Back and forth, back and forth, till it came to a stop.
Both boys were snapped out of their conversational brabble when they heard the door slide open and footsteps approach, turning to face the incoming slider and snapper.

“¡Hola hermanos!” The slider enthusiastically called out. His trademark smirk present on his face, arms behind his head and his overconfidence almost nauseatingly present.

“Hello Nardo..” Donnie scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Ah, no respect brother?” Leo grinned, scanning his twin’s expression. How could they even be twins? Donnie obviously didn’t have his rugged good looks. They were different species for god's sake.

“Respect? Nardo, I will show you respect, the day you can solve any mathematical equation correctly without the use of a calculator.” Donnie responded back, a slight annoyance clearly audible in his voice.

“Donnie. Can’t you ever be nice to your brother? Your twin?” The snapper sneered, looking at his younger kin.

Donnie took a look at his elder brother’s face. “..right. I’ll be in my lab-” The softshell turtle pulled himself to a stance, before heading into his lab.

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“ can’t you ever be nice to your brother?” he repeated in a mocking tone. As he turned his focus on one of his new inventions he’d been working on.

“Right. I will whenever he gets his shit together.” he spoke softly, sitting in his rolling chair, rolling it to his desk where the invention was placed. What sat on his desk was a piece of the krang’s armor. Or what's left of it. After the battle a few weeks prior, he had gone back to collect what little he could find that remained of the Krang’s equipment for analyzation purposes. He figured in case they ever managed to return in the future, he could make something of it to use as defense or offense, Maybe something strong enough to defeat them for good. Or even use it for his Battle-shell. Ever since the spaceship, his soft shell had been a lot more sensitive, even the slightest touch or bump would cause strikes of pain, bruising and sometimes even sudden bleeding of his shell. This was unfortunate due to the fact he was supposed to ‘fight away evil’ with his brothers. He knew deep down he was the weakest of them. He was a soft shell turtle for fucksake, he didn’t have the strength like Raph, or the creativity that Mikey had, or even the innate ability to bluff his way out of trouble like Leo often did with his overconfidence, sure he had the brains, but what good would that do if he didn’t have a body strong enough to perform what his brain came up with? Donnie felt tears well in his eyes.

“Don’t cry now, you have work to do.” He mumbled to himself, forcing himself to keep the tears from flowing down his face, and wiping away any rogue tear that managed to escape anyway.

And so he sat down and focussed on his project, making sure any distractions were out of his way, even going as far as turning off Shelldon and locking the Lab curtain for at least the next few hours.

“Do what you do best ‘othello von ryan, if you can’t be useful physically, you at least have to try to be useful intellectually…”

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“Donnie?” Mikey called, pulling his curtain back. Fiddling with his hands, he stepped forward towards his brother. His eyes focused on a black piece of armor on his desk.

“Donnie?” Mikey repeated. The soft shell was startled, quickly turning towards the curtain. He didn’t realize the sharp piece of armor that was sticking out on the desk.

“Mi- ACK.” He started before hissing in pain.

“Dee!” Mikey exclaimed, rushing to his brother.

“I’m fine, Angelo.” Donnie growled while holding his upper arm. He hadn’t noticed much himself aside from the pain, but Mikey didn’t miss the drips of what looked like pink-ish red blood dripping from the wound, between his fingers.

“..Dee..?” His eyes widened. That obviously wasn’t the right color of blood. Donnie panned his gaze down to the slash, aswell, noticing the odd colored blood.

“It's fine, Mikey.”

“..are you sure..?” The box turtle whimpered, looking at the cut, reaching for it. Donnie swatted his hand away.

“…”

“I said I’m fine.” He sneered before getting up, pushing past him and walking out of his lab.

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CLANG

The three brothers looked towards the sound. Mikey was the only one that wore a worried expression.

“What is Donnie doing?” Raph asked, a puzzled look on his face.

“Whatever it was, it sounds broken now” Leo hummed in response, looking towards the area the sound came from

“Should we check up on him?” Mikey spoke.

“I don’t know Mikey, you know how he is when it comes to his ‘precious tech’, he’s most likely going to snap at us for disturbing him.” Leo responded, a look of incoming dread on his face at the thought of Donnie making a problem of their concern for him.

“..well I’ll check on him.” Mikey huffed, standing up, walking to the lab. As Mikey got closer and closer, he couldn’t help but feel like something was off. What was that pink blood?

“Donnie?” He asked quietly. He whimpered as he saw broken glass and torn up paper. Donnie was crouched on the floor between the broken glass and the blood, holding onto his arm, he looked propper panicked.

“..Angelo..?” He replied, his voice shaky, his eyes discolored.

“Donnie..! A-are you okay?!” Mikey yelped, running to his older brother, panic filled his voice.

“..Mikey.. I..I don’t know what is happening..!” He said with a scared tone. Tears prickling in his eyes, and for once he didn’t try to hide it

“..Don’t worry I’ll figure this out-.” He started, before being cut off by a growl of pain. Within seconds Donnie moved from his place on the floor to shoving Mikey away, holding his head. The pain was unbearable. He felt the flesh on his soft shell being torn apart slowly. He screamed as he felt it break apart. Melting like glass in acid.

“..Donnie.. WAI-“

Raph Flinched hearing the sudden screaming, as Leo jumped up from his spot looking at his brother

“that sounded like….”

“MIKEY!” They said in unison, before rushing to the lab.

“DONNIE, MIK-…” Raph gasped as Leo followed his elder brother, freezing in place at the entrance. They stared in horror at the scene of what seemed like a horror movie. Mikey laid on the ground, blood pulsating from his side(?). Leo stared at Donnie’s shell. He felt like throwing up. He saw his twin’s shell or..what was left of it. Krang tentacles squirming around in the bloody rip down the middle, his soft shell was split in two, allowing blood to continuously pour from his back. The tentacles moved around like fish out of water.

“...Don…?” Leo hesitantly called out. Donnie slowly turned around, his expression dull and emotionless.. more than usual, and what he held onto made Raph vomit. Now they knew what was bleeding.. Mikey’s arm, shoulder till fingertips rested in Donnie’s hands. A single tear running down the side of Donnie’s now bloodied face.

“..OH GOD, DEE..! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Leo cried, looking to his twin, then to his baby brother practically holding on for dear life on the floor. Donnie clicked his tongue before letting out a roar, lunging for Leo. Leo staggered back, but not before..

SCHNK

Leo lifted his hand, feeling the deep gash across his face. This wasn’t his twin. No, it wasn’t Donnie. He looked back up from his trance to see Donnie jumping on Raph, hissing and trying to bite him. Leo snapped back to reality. Mikey. He thought. Leo rushed to his baby brother’s side, blood pooling around the collarbone. Leo knew his brother would live his life with no prosthetic or an arm. He wouldn’t cook nor draw that well again . He closed his eyes tightly before opening them. A determined look painted on his bloody face.

Mikey looked like he was in pain, eyes half lidded as tears blurred his vision along with the bloodloss, he looked over at his normally confident smirking brother, though it was clear he was woozy and barely able to hold his head above his shoulders, trembling from the adrenaline rushing through his veins and with labored shaky and shallow breaths.

“..I..I don’t wanna die.. L..Leo..” he whispered, through tears.

“Y-you’re going to… t-to be fine Mikey… j-just… Just stay awake for me o-okay..?” Leo shakily whispered back, holding his baby brother close and attempting to stop the bleeding in any way he could. “H-Hey no! Stay awake!” Mikey let out an exhale, his gaze grew hazy and his head fell to the side. His eyes seemed to focus on something. His body fell limp and cold. Leo felt the cold touch of death. Sure they were cold-blooded turtles but this feeling was…different.

“No…n-nonononono! Mikey! Stay with me! D-Don’t leave us!!” Leo sobbed out, gently laying the ever colder growing body that rested in his arms down on the floor, looking around the lab for anything he can use to save his baby bro, his eyes landing on a welding machine, reaching out for it as he whimpered to himself “I’m sorry mikey… this is to save you…” praying his little brother could still hear him, he pressed down on the start button and started cauterizing the wound closed. Once he noticed no more blood was coming out, he put his head on his lap and reaching for one of the clean tubes Donnie had laying around his lab along with two needles, pushing one into Mikey’s remaining arm and the other in his own, watching the blood trickle down the tube into Mikey as he started CPR.

“P-Please Mikey…!” Leo mumbled, continuing the chest compressions, completely focussed on his little brother, he hadn’t noticed his now feral twin approach, by the time he did however, he already felt the burning pain of a claw mark as Donnie clawed the DIY blood transfusion tube from his arm and knocked him to the side.

“Leo!!” Raph yelled out rushing over and bonked Donnie in the head (and then my head hit the wall), Running over to his other brothers and scooping them up carefully before running out to safety.

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Leo opened his eyes slowly. He heard the loud beeping of a heart monitor, slowly looking around trying to take in his surroundings. What had happened…? All he remembered was… MIKEY! He sat up quickly, looking across the med bay to a medical bed where his little brother was resting. He saw Raph at his bedside, trying his best to get his baby brother breathing again. Leo got out of his bed, slightly stumbling as he did, still feeling the ache that got him knocked unconscious in the first place through his body, holding his side he slowly made his way over to his elder and younger brother’s side. He slightly pushed Raph away, then turned his head to the heart monitor. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. He took a shaky breath, before looking back to his brother.

“..c’mon Mikey..” he pleaded, starting chest compressions. Leo tried and tried to revive his brother..but..nothing worked. Finally he collapsed on Mikey’s chest, tears flowing from his eyes. His baby brother was gone, no more of his delicious food, no more crafts that he made for them, no more late night turtle piles…no more baby brother. He lifted his head to the sliding door as it slid open. It was April.

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April stopped in her tracks.

“..what..?” Her voice shook as she looked at the scene. Leo and Raph crying at their brother’s bedside. She stepped forward slowly, then started picking up the pace. She stopped beside Mikey.

“..he..is he-..?” She softly spoke, looking down on her friend, tears welling in her eyes.

“..Mhm….” Leo brokenly managed, he looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown, dropping to his knees and covering his mouth to keep from screaming, sobs could be heard from his hunched over body. The bandage on his torn up arm was bleeding through slowly.

“..oh Leo..” April whimpered, crouching down. She hugged her friend while tears dripped down her face. She stood back up, looking down at Mikey. She placed her hand on his cheek. She smiled softly. April wished he wasn’t dead..but she knew whatever had happened, he was out of pain. Then, she realized something.. where was Donnie?

“Raph? Where is Donnie?” She asked, concerned. She looked around the medbay for her best friend. Raph looked up at her, tears forming in his own eyes. “I.. Donnie… did this… he’s…. H-he’s not our Donnie anymore…” he sniffed. April looked at him in confusion.

“what do you mean.. raph..” She said in a breathless voice.

“Donnie’s gone feral…” Raph whimpered, causing Leo to sob even harder, managing between sobs and sniffs the sentence “The Krang took our brothers from us… one directly… and one through death…” April’s eyes widened. This..this couldn’t be.

“..we need to find him before does any more damage.” She said sternly. Raph looked at her like she was crazy.

“you want to look for him after he did this?!” He raised his voice. April flinched.

“Donnie is my best friend, and your brother. Krangified or not, we need to get him back.” She said, raising her hands in the air. Raph let out a small growl.

“G-Guys…” Leo mumbled, sniffling.

“A..April is right. We.. we need to find him.” Leo stood up, wiping his tears away. April smiled. She started to walk out of the med bay. Leo looked at Raph, then back at April. This is what they needed to do.

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They heard clattering. April ran to a corner, hiding behind it, she peeked her head around the corner to see Donnie, looking for something. What was he looking for? Donnie stopped, clicking his tongue, then turning his head back violently, he locked eyes with April. She chuckled awkwardly before jumping back just in time to avoid a well timed slash to the face. Donnie hissed, launching himself at the three. Leo, April and Raph jumped out of the way, just barely. April screamed, being pinned down, she pushed against his arms to stop him from biting and/or slicing her.

“April! Raph!” Leo shouted out leaning against the back wall, his eyes panning from April and Donnie to Raph and back. Panic slowly rising in his chest, the air around him feeling too thick to breathe in, his vision getting slightly more spotted with each passing second, as he trembled against the wall. “I… I-I do-..” he mumbled out before collapsing forward onto the ground with a loud thud. Donnie hissed, but looked over to his twin. He seemed.. concerned. He pulled his hands to his head, growling, stumbling off of April. Donnie hissed, before blinking, his eyes the normal color. Then.. he felt it. He felt the blood pour from his shell. April rushed to him, catching him before he fell onto the floor.

“Dee!” She yelped, holding the back of his neck and placing her hand on his stomach. Raph looked at them, stepping closer. He tried to reach for his younger brother but before he could Donnie hissed, raising his claws and striking his neck. Raph stumbled back, reaching for his neck. April gasped, she didn’t know what to do. She looked down at Donnie, Tears welling in her eyes as she held onto her best friend. Donnie looked up to her, smiling softly and weakly.

“..I’m..sorry..A..April..” he spoke quietly. He placed his bloodied hand on hers.

“Tell..them..I am too..” he shallowly breathed out. April gripped his hand tightly.

“no..! You..you will.. you will tell them!” She stuttered out “Leo will fix you up… A-and you’ll be able to tell them yourself! R-Right Leo?..” She looked at Leo. No response came from the slider on the floor. “For fucksake..” she choked out, looking back to Donnie. He chuckled softly, before his eyes started to close. April held onto him.

“..Don..?” She whispered. His hand’s grip loosening and slipping out of hers. Her voice broke as she realized his chest wasn’t moving. “no..” she cried. She looked at her best friend’s face. He was smiling softly, eyes barely open a crack, as they lost their color and shine. She hugged his body and screamed in grief. She sobbed loudly, holding onto him.

“Mm..” Leo groaned, slightly shifting and slowly attempting to lift himself up. When he eventually managed to sit up he held his head in pain, glancing over at the gory scene in front of him. His eyes widened, locking on April’s crying form hunched over Donnie who seemed to be unmoving. Crawling over to them and gently placing his hand on his neck, feeling for a pulse that was no longer present.

“H..He’s g-gone…” She barely managed, tears rolling down as she looked up at Leo’s face. Her hands shakingly holding Donnie tighter as she tried to regain her composure but failed to do so.

Raph weakly crawled over to their side, the gash on his neck still bleeding without the pressure of his hand on it, he put his hand on top of Donnies bloodied ones as he let the tears fall down. He felt like he failed as a brother, he failed to protect them when they needed him the most. And it cost them their lives…

“R..Raph your neck!..” Leo croaked out, throat sore from the sobbing, he placed his hand on the wound to keep it from bleeding more while making sure he would still breathe.

“W-we need to get you patched up…” He said, trying to help him up so he could carry his brother to the med bay, only to be met with no help from Raph. Looking over at him, he noticed his older brother’s pale face. Eyes closed with some remaining tears trickling down.

Leo grabbed a clean cloth and tied it in a way to apply pressure on the wound, using all the strength he had to pick up the giant snapper and rush him to the med bay. He pushed out a stretcher he had to April to bring Donnie too.

He was going to do whatever it took to keep the remaining family he had left alive.

Chapter Text

Leo had cleared the room next to the med bay to be a place where April could stay with Donnie, knowing she wouldn’t let go of him. He sat between the two remaining beds in the med bay that had his youngest and eldest brother in them. His eyes drifting from Mikey’s pale but content forever sleeping form and Raph’s who was slowly getting a bit of color back. He had managed to close the neck wound and stop the bleeding, however he hadn’t woken up yet.

“Don’t leave too Raph… I won't forgive you if you do..” He mumbled, Shifting his body to fully face him. His arm connected to a Blood transfusion bag that pumped blood to Raph in order to make up for the gallons he had lost.

“...April is taking Donnie’s death hard… she’s refusing to leave his side… she won’t even let me get close… i… I think she blames me… for his death…” He said shakily looking at Raph’s face. “I can’t blame her… i-if i’d been stronger… maybe i could’ve made a difference… Maybe i could’ve saved him…” He whimpered, clutching his own carapace.

“Maybe if i had been faster… I could've saved Mikey too…” He choked out, as a few tears fell down. How bad he wanted to beg for Mikey and Donnie to come and hug him, but he knew it would never happen again. All he had left was Raph, and even that he wasn’t sure of. He looked down at the transfusion and watched it leave his body and enter his brother’s. It hurt, the wound from the first attempt at a transfusion still fresh and aching.

He laid his head on the edge of the medical bed and shivered, feeling tired and weak, mad and disappointed in himself for not doing more to save his brothers.

“You n-never deserved this…” He whispered, a heavy feeling washing over him as he found it hard to even lift his head a little bit, trying to reach for the stop on the tube but freezing when he had it in hand. Wanting to make sure if one of them survived it would be Raph, he let go of it. Knowing that because Raph was much bigger than him, he would need more blood to be sure he would survive.

“I…couldn’t save them… so… let me s-save you bro…” He mumbled shallowey. He felt exhausted, feeling the heavy feeling spread through his body, he let sleep take over. Closing his eyes and slipping down the side of the med bed, his arm that had the transfusion tube in it being the only thing left in place on the bed thanks to the tube itself. There he layed on his side on the floor as the blood kept draining, unmoving and paling.

He finally felt at peace knowing he did something right for once, and saved his brother.

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“You c-can’t leave us… you can’t be t-that selfish…” April sobbed out, holding onto Donnie plastron tightly, she was shaking and looked like she’d been sobbing for hours on end with no break. Donnie’s body by now was paler than ever, and ice cold. Eyes still half lidded, now fully gray and dull and devoid of any sign of life. April stayed clung to him, eventually feeling chills up her arms and down her spine, like an ice cold breeze went past her.

“April” a soft statically voice echoed behind her, she turned around just in time to see a purple mist like figure disappeared only to reappear in the door opening, less in tact than before, but still visibly him “D-Donnie…?” she mumbled, running after him, only for him to disappear again and reappear seconds later even less in tact infront of the med bay door. Simple giving a little nod towards the doors before fading a away into tiny purple particles.

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(WORK IN PROGRESS)