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It was supposed to be an easy mission.
In and out- a stealth operation. Donnie, Leo, Mikey, and a small group of crew members would sneak onto the island, place the explosives, and sneak off before the Kraangken or its multitude of creatures knew what was happening. Then the island and all of the resources on it would be blown sky high, and that would be that.
But something had gone wrong.
Everything was going according to plan at first. Right up until it, well, didn’t. The group had planted a handful of the explosives when one of the damned creatures- lost souls who’d been cursed by the Kraangken- spotted them. The wretched thing immediately called out in a high pitched shriek. The sound rang throughout the cavern and alerted the other creatures that were scattered throughout of the intruders.
What followed after was a blur. Donnie remembered hearing Leo calling out to Donnie and a few others to finish placing as many explosives as they could while he, Mikey, and the rest held off the cursed monsters. He could remember flashes of red- god, there had been so much red. And screaming. Donnie didn’t think he’d ever be free from the screaming, not with the way it rang through his head relentlessly. Donnie’s hands had been moving on autopilot at this point, arranging the explosives he was holding along the walls of the cave. When he was done with that, he moved to arrange the ones that he had recovered from their fallen.
After what felt like hours, although in reality was likely only a few minutes, Donnie heard Leo desperately shout out the command to retreat.
Retreat? Donnie froze. No, no they couldn’t retreat- not now. This mission was too important to abandon- regardless of the casualties. The island contained the vast majority of the Kraangkens’ resources, hidden away throughout the caves in a clever system. They couldn’t just steal them, it would take too long and was far more risky. It had to be destroyed. If they didn’t, the resistance would just pull further and further behind- hell they’d probably all be dead within the year.
Donnie looked up and canvassed the cave system, his mind focusing with sudden clarity as he strung together a last minute plan. It was... less than favorable, but they couldn’t afford to fail. Not this time.
He ignored the sudden wave of nausea that hit him and moved quickly towards Leo, who was currently shouting at Mikey to help as many people as he could and run like hell to get off of the godforsaken island. Donnie took a step forward, now standing beside Leo who still hadn’t noticed him yet. He slowly reached forward and set his hand on Leo’s shoulder, feeling the cold metal of the prosthetic shift underneath his fingertips as Leo flinched in surprise, his head whipping around as he took notice of Donnie.
“Ah, there you are! What do you say we get out of this hellhole, eh, Don?” Leo suggested with a dry chuckle, his eyes betraying the shaky smile plastered on his face; however, his smile fell just as quickly as it had formed as he took in his twin’s solemn demeanor.
“Don..?”
Donnie said nothing, waiting a moment before turning to look Leo in the eyes.
How was he supposed to say this? His insides twisted into anxious knots as his mind played through all of the different scenarios, knowing damn well what each one inevitably led to. He sighed- a simple exhale and inhale that he could focus on to calm his nerves.
“Leo, I need you to promise me something.” Donnie said, mentally willing the lump in his throat to go away to no avail. Leo’s expression fell, an unspoken fear rising in his throat.
“Woah woah woah, hey- Don? What are you talking about? You’re-”
“Leo. I’m serious. I need you to promise me.”
“No, no- Donnie what are you sa-”
“Promise me.”
Leo froze, the sheer desperation in Donnie’s voice making him pause. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before turning to Donnie.
“...Promise you what?” He asked reluctantly, forcing down the panicked ‘what if's' that echoed through his head.
Donnie inhaled shakily, taking his hand off of Leo’s shoulder in order to place something in the slider’s hand.
“I need you to promise me that you won’t hate me.”
Leo’s gut twisted into uneasy knots as he processed what the softshell had said.
“Donnie, nothing could make me hate you. You know that.”
“Just promise me, Leo.”
“Fine. I promise.”
“Now why did you need me to tell you that?” Leo asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
“Because with what I’m about to do you very well might.” Donnie replied, his eyes turned to the floor in an attempt to avoid his brother’s gaze.
“Donnie, if this is a joke, it isn’t funny. What are you talking about?” He asked, his voice cracking desperately as he searched his twin’s eyes for any sort of clue- just something, anything to hold onto.
Donnie turned to him, a sad regret sitting in his gaze.
“I’m finishing the mission.”
Leo paled. His expression fell as the chaos surrounding them turned deafeningly silent, the realization crashing over him like a wave in the middle of a storm. The ‘what-if’s’ that whispered in the back of his mind now roared as they became frighteningly real. He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off as Donnie continued.
“Leo, we both know what happens if this mission fails. I’m gonna do this. What you’re gonna do, however, is get back on the ship with Mikey and anyone that survived and you’re going to get your asses the hell out of here while I wipe this island off the map.”
Donnie then took off running before the slider could say anything further.
“Donnie!” Leo shouted after him.
“Ship! Now! Go!” Donnie yelled back at him, turning a corner and sliding into the main cavern. Somewhere behind him he heard Leo let out a string of curses, but he must have decided to heed the softshell’s instructions because he couldn’t hear him following him anymore.
Good. He thought, although a part of him wanted to cry out for his twin and follow him out- to run away from all of this and see his brothers one last time. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t be selfish now, not when he had a job to do. Not when his brothers’ lives depended on it. With that, he shoved down all the messy emotions that threatened to drown him and he ran. His heartbeat rang in his tympanum as he darted past the swarms of cursed humans and yokai that poured out of every possible crevice in the cave system. He screamed, pouring out all of the emotions that beat against his chest in a desperate attempt to break free while he charged forward and barelled through a group of those damned creatures that blocked his exit. Once past them he spotted his target- a small gap in the rocks. It looked about wide enough for Donnie to slide through, but too narrow for the creatures to follow. What lay past it looked to be about the size of a closet. A bit cramped for Donnie’s taste, but it would have to do. He ducked below an oncoming tentacle- narrowly dodging the spikes that protrude from it- and quickly slid to safety within the rocks.
Dust rained from the ceiling as the monsters threw themselves against the wall that separated them from him. He didn’t have much time to do this. He quickly emptied the collection of explosives from his battle shell, dumping them all haphazardly on the floor. He picked up a few, arranging them on the walls and jamming them into crevices in the floor in order to make room for more. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared at the bombs at his feet. He sat down on the floor, bringing his knees to his chest as he pulled out the device that would end it all. The device that would buy his family more time. That would give them a fighting chance. He squeezed his eyes shut while his mind replayed all the moments that had led up to this. Moments that had long since come to pass, and yet Donnie found that he’d give anything to relive just one of them. He inhaled shakily, bringing his hand up to the detonator. All he had to do was press the button and he’d be finished. The mission would be complete. So why didn’t he? Why was he hesitating? Donnie shut his eyes tight, trying to shove down the emotions that were suffocating him. His mind flashed to his brothers. Were they safe? Had Leo done as he’d asked and sailed away or was he waiting on the shore hopefully, waiting for a sign that Donnie would emerge in one piece? Or even if they did sail off, would they get far enough to escape the blast radius of the explosion? Would it have even mattered if they did or didn’t sail away? Would they be caught in the blast and end up dead because of him? Donnie bit back a scream, trying to force himself to keep his cool- but why should he? He was about to lose his brothers, goddamnit! He was allowed to feel whatever the hell this was. Why sho-
His thoughts were interrupted by an inhuman shriek just outside his little nook. Cracks had begun to form around the gap where he’d entered as the creatures tried to claw their way in. If he was going to do this, he had to do it now. His hand shook as he held up the detonator, and with one swift move he slammed his hand down onto the button.
“Leo where’s Donnie??”
Mikey’s panicked voice cut through the air as Leo stepped onto the ship.
“Someone pull back the anchor! You. Sails.” Leo ordered the crew, pushing past Mikey and tightening his fist around the object Donnie had left in his hand.
“Leo. Where’s Donnie?” Mikey asked again desperately.
Leo bit his tongue, slowly turning to face his younger brother. His mind raced, replaying the moments from earlier in an unrelenting loop. Watching Donnie take off and disappear, his brother, his twin- his other fucking half. Gone. The crushing weight of his absence just felt... wrong. Leo slowly turned to meet Mikey’s gaze, giving a slight shake of his head.
Mikey’s eyes widened as the realization sank in. Mikey turned, moving to the side of the boat as the island grew smaller and smaller. He shook his head, blinking rapidly as his eyes filled with tears.
Leo moved beside him. The two stood together in silence, watching the waters in hopes that they’d see Donnie sailing towards them on one of the rowboats that had been left behind on the island. Maybe he’d decided against going through with it. Sure, the resistance wasn’t doing too well, but I mean, there was still a chance, right? Leo thought to himself as he tried to convince himself of the impossible, searching the waters desperately for some sign that Donnie was safe and coming back to them. Maybe he had thought of some revolutionary idea for the resistance, some alternative solution to their current predicament that didn’t involve him sacrificing himself in a plan that didn’t even guarantee their success. Maybe he was safe. Maybe he was alive. Mayb-
A deafening roar shattered the silence, tearing Leo from his thoughts. Leo looked up, his eyes racing to find the island.
Or, what was left of it anyways.
There, where the island once stood, was now only smoke and fire. Pieces of rock and other debris littered the water. Leo could only hear a sharp ringing in his tympana, the rest of the world fading to the background as he stared into the distance. Somewhere among the ringing he heard Mikey let out a muffled sob, now clutching onto Leo as if he was a lifeline. The force from the explosion seemed to shake the world as it sent a surge of energy through the water. The boat rocked harshly as the water underneath them rose and fell in fast succession, sending everyone on it stumbling and flung about. Leo held onto Mikey desperately in his panic, doing his best to shield him. They weren’t in any real danger and Leo knew that, but he still felt himself trying to protect Mikey.
He was protecting the only brother he had left.
The thought echoed through his brain, although it didn’t quite click. Because no, that couldn’t be true- there was no way Mikey was the only brother he had left- right? No. No, he just had to wait a minute. Then he’d see Donnie sailing towards them, waving at them and shouting “I lived, bitches!” Yeah. Any minute now.
Leo waited, looking out to the water expectantly while he held onto Mikey who continued sobbing into his plastron. Minutes passed, and Leo’s expression slowly fell as the situation finally dawned on him. Donnie was really gone. He inhaled shakily, unaware of the tears that were streaming down his face. Leo slowly deflated, curling in on himself as everything began to sink in. He pulled Mikey into a tight hug, burying his face in the other’s shoulder as he broke down into violent sobs. Mikey wailed into Leo’s chest, clutching onto him for support.
After several minutes of this, the slider and box turtles’ sobs slowly calmed down as their tear ducts had nothing left to give. Leo felt the object Donnie had given to him press further into his palm, reminding him of its presence. He lifted his head up slightly, blinking away the remaining tears that blurred his vision in order to look at it.
He opened his hand slowly to reveal... beads. Donnie’s beads. A trail of dark plastic that transitioned into their signature hues of red, blue, orange, and purple. Leo clutched the string of beads in his hand once more, holding onto what was left of his twin as if it might somehow bring him back.
Leo wanted to curse Donnie for leaving. For dying. For making Leo have to grieve the loss of another family member. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. He shouldn’t have to lose his twin. He shouldn’t have to lose another one of his brothers. They didn’t have the time to properly mourn- hell they didn’t even have a body to bury! But he'd promised Donnie that he wouldn't hate him, and by God if he wasn't going to honor that.
It just wasn’t fair.