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Blanket / found family / “you will regret touching them.”
“Holy shell!” Raph scrambled back from the rift opening in the middle of the street in front of them. The brightly shining cracks in space shot out like whips toward the group of turtles.
“Get back!” Don warned, grabbing Leo’s shoulder and yanking him further back from the searching tendrils trying to suck the quartet into its wake.
Mikey shouted from his adjacent position as one of the whips wrapped around his lower arm.
“Mikey!” Leo ran over to catch him before he was pulled in as Raph came up behind Don, taking hold of his hand as the twins moved to help the youngest, all of them grabbing onto him as the binding on his pulled taught.
Leo drew one of his swords, slicing through the tendril to release Mikey, then the four of them backed up more from the rift.
“Don, what’s happening?” Leo asked.
“Some kind of rift in space time that’s pulling things in.” Don summarized.
“A what?” Mikey rubbed his arm where it had grabbed him.
“A portal is opening and trying to take us with-” Donny jolted at the feeling of something stinging and hot wrapping around his ankle and yank. Leo grabbed firmly into Don’s wrist, Raph still holding his other hand as he was pulled horizontally toward the portal. “- IIIIIT! ”
“Ah! Dudes!” Mikey gave the only warning before more tendrils shot out of the rift toward the turtles.
“HOLD ON!” Don squeezed both Leo and Raph’s hands, and Mikey grabbed the lip of Leo’s shell and took Raph’s other hand. Leo released one of his hands from Donny to grab onto Raph’s belt.
They were forcefully yanked into the rift, the area inside weightless and colors spinning endlessly around them like some kind of fever dream. The tendrils in there grabbed the turtles almost hungrily, despite them already being in the rift. They aimed to pull the four apart, tearing Mikey off of Leo’s shell and Raph and Don’s hands apart so the four ended up in a chain.
And still, more tendrils snapped out of seemingly nowhere, a large one wrapping tightly around Don’s torso and squeezing. He gasped, trying to pry it loose some as it constricted him, forcing his breath out of his lungs with a heavy wheeze. “Dammit- these things won’t let up.”
“Just-” Leo grunted, trying to kick away the tendrils trying to grab hold of his legs. “-hang on.”
The growing amounts of tendrils took hold of Raph’s belt, cutting it off and sending Mikey and Raph careening away from the other two, leaving the belt in Leo’s hand, sais still attached. “Leo!”
“Raph! Mikey!” Leo tried to grab them, but they were pulled out of reach before he could, and disappeared into the swirling colors that were making Don dizzy. Leo turned back to the only brother he still had a grip on right as more whips wrapped around his newly freed arm.
Don looked up at him with wide eyes. “Leo, you h-” he huffed, struggling to get a full breath in. “have to let go!”
“No!” Leo tightened his grip on Don’s wrist, then cried out as the tendrils roughly pulled his other arm. “I can’t-”
“We’ll find each other!” Don shouted. “I promise, but you’re… going to get hurt. Let go!”
Leo shook his head, and Don could see the pained strain evident on his face.
Don hissed as the tendrils around his torso wound up and around his shoulder, squeezing there too to try to get the muscles to loosen. He gave Leo a final glance, trying to reassure him as Leo panicked. “Don, don’t!”
Don let go, and Leo’s grip slipped off as the elder brother shouted.
Then it felt like falling, the air zipping past his face as he was pulled back from his brother at a high speed, all the glowing tendrils around him tightening further and sending pain up his torso. He’d thought that letting them have leave to him would at least make them more merciful, but apparently not.
He tried to twist out of their hold only to find it harder and harder to breathe, and feel something in his chest strain and pop. they spread, gaining control of most of his body until he began to see stars, squinting at the swirling colors around him until…
The tendrils disappeared, but he wasn’t allowed to finish the breath in before slamming into something and blacking out.
~~~
“I’m telling you Leo, I heard something over here!” Mikey claimed, moving around the corner into the alley he supposedly heard a crash from. “Maybe someone’s hurt!”
“Or it’s a homeless person.” Leo stated. “Who we don’t want to see us. ”
Mikey ignored him, disappearing into the alleyway.
Leo huffed, sneaking up to the corner and peeking around to see the usual dumpsters and trash and no orange-banded-turtle.
Leo panicked for a moment, jumping out from his hiding spot. “Mikey?!”
A hand popped up from behind one of the dumpsters. “Over here!”
Leo let out a sigh of relief, jogging over to his brother only to stop in his tracks at seeing the still-lying shell on the ground that his brother was crouching over.
Mikey looked up at Leo. “Can we keep him?”
Leo furrowed his brows, looking over at the other two brothers peeking at the figure curiously. “We- uh.”
“We don’t know where he’s been!” Raph snarked with a smirk.
Donnie waved him a little to the side. “Guys, I think he’s hurt.”
Leo looked back, taking a closer look at the other turtle. He was curled in on himself on the ground, and had some training pads and a belt on. He also did look hurt, as his skin was littered in bruises and he seemed to be struggling to breathe. “Think, uh… we should help him, right?”
Donnie moved past Leo, crouching beside Mikey and looking him over. “Oh… huh.”
“What?” Mikey asked.
“Help me flip him over.” Donnie requested and Mikey helped, flipping the turtle onto his shell to reveal what Donnie was so surprised about.
The turtle was wearing a purple ninja mask.
“Huh.” Leo repeated. “Think he’s another like us?”
“Probably.” Donnie carefully checked him over, tilting his head to the side slowly to reveal a bleeding gash. “I think he hit his head too.” he looked around. “Where are his brothers? Think they’re going to cause as much trouble as the last counterparts?”
“Hopefully not.” Raph crossed his arms. “Maybe these guys will actually be able to fight.”
Donnie continued his brief examination. “I think he has a broken collarbone and some muscle strain, possibly a cracked rib.”
“So he needs medical attention, his brothers are nowhere to be found, and we’ve never met them. That bodes well.” Raph crossed his arms.
“We should take him back to the lair.” Leo said.
Raph put his hands over his face. “That’s the opposite of what I meant.”
“No, Leo’s right.” Donnie muttered. “We can’t just leave him here.”
They sent Raph to get the Shellraiser and when he got back, they lifted the turtle inside, and Leo switched spots with Raph in driving so the two middle turtles could begin to tend to what injuries they could.
Halfway home, the turtle stirred, groaning. Donnie had Raph back up a little, staring at the waking turtle as his face drew up and he squinted at the roof of the van.
After a few moments of staring and blinking, the turtle turned his head to squint at Donnie.
He blinked again, then his eyes shot wide open, and he flinched, trying to scramble back. Instead, he cried out, curling in on himself and his injuries, breathing heavily.
“Hey, be careful!” Donnie told him, setting a hand on his shoulder. The turtle looked up at him,then at his hand in bewilderment.
“Y-you’re-” he swallowed. “I can feel, so I’m not dreaming.”
“Yep.” Donnie tried to soothe him by rubbing his shoulder some, but the turtle pulled away. “Not a dream. You got really hurt, so try to stay still. We’re taking you to our home to help patch you up.”
The turtle shook his head, trying to sit up with a grunt. “No, I gotta go find my brothers. I promised.”
“Not with a broken collarbone you won’t.” Donnie put both hands on his shoulders, pushing him down. “Your arms shouldn’t be moved much either.”
He seemed to accept that, laying back down. “Right. Don’t want to puncture a lung…”
Donnie was surprised that it didn’t take much more than that to get him down.
“But once I'm patched up I’m going to find my brothers.”
There it was. Donnie sighed. “We’ll talk about it when we get there.” he paused, tilting his head. “So… uh… what’s your name?”
“Dude, we already-” Donnie slapped a hand over Mikey’s mouth.
The other turtle blinked slowly at them before responding. “Donatello. And yours?”
“Also Donatello.” Donnie responded.
The turtle furrowed his brows.
Donnie tried not to laugh at his confusion. “First time traveling dimensions and meeting alternates of yourself and your brothers?”
The other Donnie pressed his lips into a thin line, looking away uncomfortably. “Just myself.”
Donnie was the one confused at that, humming. “What’s that mean?”
“Nothing.” he sighed. “Do I at least still have my shell cell?”
“That’s such a better name than t-phone!” Mikey stated. “I thought the I-phone reference was clever but that’s so much cooler!”
Donatello reached up to rub his head. “What’s an I-phone?”
The three other turtles in the back gaped at him.
“In his defense, the last bunch we met didn’t have technology like ours either.” Raph mumbled.
“They also played with cartoon physics.” Donnie rolled his eyes. “But either way.” he pointed at the hurt turtle. “I haven’t seen any kind of phone on you, Donatello.”
“Ah shell.” he huffed, closing his eyes. “Just Don is fine, but that’s not exactly good.”
“We’re almost home!” Leo called back to his brothers. “How’s he doing?”
“Just dandy.” Raph retorted.
Donnie got up carefully, moved over to where he kept some of the first aid equipment they’d used and pulled out a shock blanket. While Don wasn’t really in shock, he could still use a blanket, and it’d make it easier to move him if they needed to. He brought it back and Don gratefully accepted it.
“So how’d you get here?” Mikey asked.
Don shrugged. “Not sure how it happened, but there was some space-time rift thing.”
“And it brought you here?” Donnie asked. “That’s encouraging.”
Leo parked the Shellraiser, and the brothers helped Don out of the vehicle and into the lair, laying him back down on the couch in the pit as Leo ran to grab some supplies. He came back with an armful and set them beside the couch.
“Donnie, can you give him some pain meds? I have to set his bones before I heal him.”
Donnie nodded. “Of course.” He retrieved some of the pain meds they had and gave them to Don. “tell us when it starts kicking in, okay?”
Don nodded. “I can do that.”
Leo began getting some other materials out, setting them up and waiting for Don’s go ahead.
Don relaxed after a moment, and turned to look at Leo suspiciously. “Hey, what’d you give me?”
“Hydromorphone.” Donnie responded. “That’s the only one we have, since most others are not as effective on us.”
Don looked upset. “Awe man! That stuff never dulls the pain completely.”
Donnie watched him, noting the way he slurred and seemed sluggish. “Does it also disorient you?”
“A little.” Don said, closing his eyes again.
Leo raised his brows at Donnie. “So, this is probably going to hurt then?”
“Yep.” Donnie pulled a rag out of the med kit. “Here, bite this.”
Don did as he was told and tried to take a few deep breaths as he was told while Leo positioned himself over his collarbone. “Alright, on the count of three.”
Donnie reached out over Don’s torso to pin his arms down.
“One, two… three.”
There was a pop and Don jerked, shouting through the rag and squirming. Leo kept his hands where they were to make sure he wouldn’t reinjure himself and Raph and Mikey moved to pin his legs. Leo spoke softly to try to soothe him, and after a few minutes, Don calmed down.
Leo took a sharp breath in, telling the other three to stay where they were as he moved his hands to Don’s soft, unprotected sides. “I have to check on the ribs real quick.”
Don squirmed some more, and Leo huffed.
“You’ve got a broken rib too.” Leo explained. “I’ve got to set it.”
Don shook his head, and Leo frowned.
“Sorry Don, I have to. You could get hurt.”
“Man he’s really out of it.” Raph commented, receiving a glare from Donnie. “What? He is!”
“Not the time.” Leo said firmly. “Hold him down, I’ll go on the count of three again.”
They repositioned so Donnie could keep his shoulders down and one of his arms up and pinned to his plastron to give Leo room to work.
“One, two… three.”
Another pop, and Don screamed through the cloth, thrashing more than before.
“Don, hey, it’s okay! It’s over!” Leo tried to get him down, but that time only relaxed again when he tired himself out. “There you go, just take a deep breath, okay?”
Don nodded a little and Donnie took the rag out of his mouth, motioning for the other two to get off him. Leo sat on his knees beside the couch and began his hand symbols to heal Don, and while he did, Donnie tried to keep Don calm.
Don looked to the side at Donnie, tearing up a little. “Ya done?”
“Not yet.” Donnie set his hand on his head. “Leo’s going to heal you some, okay?”
Don whined, squirming a little, and Donnie shushed him. “Wan’ my brothers.”
Donnie sighed. “We’re going to go find them, don’t worry.”
Leo reached forward, pressing his glowing hands to Don’s collarbone and the injured turtle hissed, trying to wiggle around, which prompted Mikey and Raph to hold him down again. Donnie felt a buzz from his phone, which he checked.
There was a proximity alarm, and Donnie sat up straighter. “Someone’s coming.”
“What?” Leo asked. “Now is not the time for people to be finding us.”
“Hurry up then. We’ll move Don into the lab, but you have to be quick.” Donnie said, moving up to get Don in position for Leo to reach his ribs again. Leo began the mantras quicker than before, and Don got anxious, breathing heavier and trying to get out of Donnie’s grip.
“Lemme go!” he demanded.
“Not yet, just hang on a moment.” Donnie held him firmly, and Leo pressed his hands onto the wound again, making Don cry out again.
Then there was a crash from right outside the turnstiles, and all but Leo turned to see three green blurs burst out of the sewers, and turn to look back at them.
Donnie sucked a breath in as Don turned his head to look at them half-lidded. Then he let out another whine, renewing his struggle.
Well this probably looks bad. Donnie thought as anger flashed across the other three turtles' faces.
“Hey!” the other Raph shouted. “Get away from him!”
Leo pulled his hands away to turn back and look at the other turtles. “Oh sewer apples.”
The other three charged and Donnie put his hands up. “Wait wait!”
Raph, on the other hand, jumped up ready for a fight, and for some odd reason, Mikey joined him. Leo stood up, mimicking Donnie’s motions.
But they knew from the looks on the other turtles faces that this was a fight now, ask questions later kind of attack.
“Leo, we need to get back!” Donnie grabbed his arm and pulled him back, both of them jumping over Don and the back of the couch. Leo called Raph and Mikey to do the same, all four of them backing away from the hurt turtle.
The other Raph stayed with Don while the other two got between the pair of them and the four other turtles, other Leo pointing his sword at the group. “you will regret touching him.”
Donnie swallowed. “If you would just let us explain…”
Other Raph let out a snarl, looking up from Don. “did you fucking drug him? ”
“No!’ Leo waved his hands. “I mean… yeah, but not exactly?”
Other Leo took a few steps closer, and the quartet took a few back.
“Seriously dudes, we’re not your enemies!” Mikey claimed. “We found him hurt and brought him here to help! We didn’t know he would be so out of it with that medicine!”
“Hydromorphone.” Donnie said. “He said it disorients you guys and we didn’t have anything else.”
The other turtles were not taking it, but other Raph huffed from his spot. “Guys, wait.”
They looked back at him from where he was with Don, and he glared at the four others.
“What’d he need Hydromorphone for?”
“He has a broken collarbone and rib.” Leo said slowly. “We had to set it, but the drugs didn’t dull the pain enough.”
“That would explain the shouting.” other Mikey pointed out. “And those wiggly things were not exactly nice.”
Other Leo glared at the group of turtles for another moment longer before he sighed, sheathing his swords and walking back to Raph and Don.
Donnie and his brothers released a collective sigh.
“So, uh…” Raph tilted his head. “You guys ended up in our dimension.”
“Oh! We've traveled dimensions before.” other Mikey said. “Although other turtles are weird, you do have superpowers, so it’s not a first.”
“Super-” Leo shook his head. “Healing mantras are not super powers! They’re… chi.”
“Still not a first.” other Leo mumbled, checking Don over before stepping back to have other Raph get back in place beside their hurt brother.
“We’re you guys, but from a parallel dimension.” Donnie said, and the three of them looked up at him confused.
“We’re you but in a different font.” Mikey translated.
“Fun.” other Raph huffed, rubbing Don’s shoulder and lowering his voice to talk softly to his brother.
Don tried to move closer to his Raph, but scrunched his face in obvious pain when he did. Leo stepped past Donnie, crouching at the edge of the pit behind where the other four were. “I can show you the healing mantras, it’d help with his pain.”
The three other turtles looked back and forth between each other before giving Leo the space he needed. While he got in position, Mikey asked “Hey, what should we call you guys? It might get a little confusing.”
“You can call me Mike.” other Mikey said. “I’m not sure about Leo, but we call Raph Raphie sometimes.”
Raph raised a brow and smirked at his counterpart. “Raphie? Really?”
Raphie narrowed his eyes at him. “Yeah? What of it?”
Raph shrugged. “Nothing.”
“You can just call me Leonardo.” other Leo said, standing back with Mike with his arms crossed, watching Leo carefully.
Leo began the mantras again, Raphie settling by Don’s head as the hurt turtle seemed to regard Leo’s ritual with distress. Raphie didn’t like that much, but opted to soothe his brother while he bore holes into Leo.
Again, the mantras seemed to hurt Don some, but not as much as before, and being uninterrupted or rushed allowed Leo to finish with him, easing his pain significantly once he was done. “There we go.”
“Good.” Raphie glared at him. “Now get back.”
Leo raised his hands, taking several steps away. “We should probably talk about how you all got here.”
“Some kind of sassy portal.” Mike said, plopping down on the floor in front of Don. “it had all these tentacles made of light that pulled us in.”
“That sounds like a lovely experience.” Donnie grumbled. “And not something I’d ever want to play with.”
“We’re not sure where it came from, just that it grabbed us, pulled all of us apart and threw us into your world.” Leonardo said.
“We followed our shell cells' tracking signals to find each other again.” Mike waved his.
Donnie took a deep breath in, looking down at Don. “didn’t you say you didn’t have yours?”
Don squinted at him. “You did.”
Donnie blanched. “So all of this could have been avoided if you’d checked your person?”
Raphie reached and retrieved Don’s shell Cell, flipping it open and messing with it for a moment. “Nah, it’s broken. Don made sure the trackers work even if the phone breaks.”
Donnie sighed. “Well, we can try to help you get back to your homeworld, but I don’t want to deal with any sassy light tentacles.”
Leonardo chuckled. “We’ll try to make sure they leave you alone.”