#ImagionationStation’s Ficlets

[imagionationstation]

12 Donnie 🎲

🎲 -> The most unlucky day

Leo's surprised when Donnie joins him.

He looks dead on his feet when he trudges into the kitchen. That's not surprising. It's almost four in the evening. He's up earlier than he normally is. He slumps onto a chair, laying his head in his arms and looking off at the wall, and Leo tries to recall when he last slept.

His sleep schedule had actually been doing better over the past few weeks. Leo watched him go to bed the day before. He'd been smiling as he did, helping Raph tease Mikey about the horror film that they'd watched. The eye bags were not this massive.

He contemplates saying something, but he's too tired to interrogate him over whether or not he actually slept. He'll save it for when Donnie makes it a weekly endeavor.

But, he might as well- 

"There was no nightmare." Donnie announces, sudden enough that Leo almost spills the tea. Dull gaze lingers on the neon sign. "Yes, my eye bags are heavy. Yes, I should head back to bed. No, I'm not going to. And no, I don't want to talk about it."

The building conversation sputters out.

Leo pours his drink. Donnie doesn't move.

Since his brother is clearly feeling moody, Leo decides to excuse himself to focus on more pressing matters. Namely-

"Can I join you?"

Leo looks at his younger brother. He doesn't look back.

Donnie admits, "I know you're going to watch Space Heroes and I know you got up this early so you didn't have to deal with us, but can you please make an exception?"

"Um." Leo's tempted to deny him, but he sounds so... Defeated. Wait. How did he know that? Leo never told them. He was always meditating by the time that they came out. He was careful. 

Double wait. Is he misinterpreting Leo's mornings of peace as avoidance? Sure, maybe they were a little avoidy, but not like that.

"Sure." He agree awkwardly. "But-"

"No negative commentary. No fun facts. No interruptions of any kind." Donnie hauls himself to his feet. His looks at Leo and the leader notices his reddened eyes before he turns away. "I know."

Leo's concern mounts. He follows him out of the kitchen. The tea is left forgotten on the counter.

He expects him to find a place on the couch to collapse, so he goes to claim his own area. He does not expect him to go to his room, come back with a blanket, and drop himself against Leo's shoulder in a suspiciously cuddly fashion.

His knees are tucked close to his body, arms closed in a self-hug. Up close, his younger brother looks pale. For more pale than he'd been the night before, worn down by an unexplained enemy. It makes the bags under his eyes bigger than he originally thought.

Leo watches at him. Donnie looks numbly at the tv.

Captain Ryan heroically proclaims the adventure of the episode as Leo sets the back of his hand on his younger brother's forehead. It's not warm. Donnie leans into the touch. Leo slowly removes it, and Donnie follows it momentarily.

He blinks, the haze gone, and pulls back.

Okay, that's it.

"Donnie," He says, cool. "What's going on?"

"I should have chosen Raph." His younger brother tells the tv. "At least he'd have given me a few hours."

"Too bad." Leo tries to meet his eyes, "You're stuck with me and if you don't tell me what's going on-"

"It's a time loop."

Leo pauses, "Excuse me?"

"I stopped counting a while ago." Donnie's tone is even, recited. "It resets every night at midnight. Renet won't tell me how. She can't tell me why. I lost track of days. I used to tell you guys. You never believe me. None of you eher bulieve me."

His voice stutters, wet with quiet sob. He inhales, shakily, repressing the weakness. “Y-You keep going out. You keep dying. I’d tell you not to go and you���ll go anyway. Someone has to die out there. Someone always has to die.” 

Alarm has Leo swallowing, heart pounding as his hand instinctively comes up to brace his brother. Donnie won’t look at him. “I thought it would be easier if it’s me. I thought maybe once it was me it would end. It didn’t end. I woke up!” 

His voice shatters. Leo furrows his brows, feeling less than half awake. The tv is too fuzzy to watch so he looks back at his brother, “I don’t understand.”

“You can’t.” Donnie admits. “No matter how many times I tell you… You can’t.”

Leo stares at him. Donnie pleads, “I can’t watch you die again.” 

Something deep in his being softens, recollecting old moments where a much smaller Donnie would invade his bed when his brain got a bit to much for him to handle on his own. He watches his eyes as they’re cloaked with tears and brushes his thumb against his arm. “It was just a nightmare.”

“It’s not.” His voice drops into a whisper. “It’s not. It’s not.” 

“I can prove it.” Leo prompts gently. He’s seen how bad his brother’s stress dreams can get. Not to mention the repetitive ones. Leo personally knows that those are always the worst.  “We’ll go out tonight. A quick patrol.”

“I want it to end. I want it all to end.”

“They won’t last forever.” He presses as images flit by on the screen. He’s missing the episode. “You’ll get through it.”

“I thought it would end if I was the one to die.” Donnie's voice goes flat, contemplative. “Maybe I also need to be the one doing the killing.”

“Hey,” Leo cuts in, startled. “Hey, hey, don’t talk like that. You’re going to be fine. You’ll get through this. That’s never the answer.” 

“I’m so tired of being mad at you.” Donnie presses further against Leo’s shoulder. He blinks, hazily, trying to remember why Donnie might be mad. What did he do this time? “I can’t keep hating you and then watching you die.”

Oh. Nightmare Leo. Right. 

“Gee.” He roll his eyes, fondly. “Good to know you’re consistent, at least.”

He turns up the volume, relaxing onto the cushions, leaning into his brother’s heat.

“I love you.” Donnie breathes, abruptly. “I don’t think I told you that yet. You’re a good big brother. A really good one. Even when you drive me nuts. You’re really great. A-and you try so hard for us. I know you do. There’s so much I need to thank you for-”

“As much as I’d love a long list of reasons that I’m great,” Leo murmurs, taking note of the wild burst of tremors. “You’re freaking yourself out. And that’s admittedly freaking me out. We can talk about this later, okay? When you’re less frazzled.” He wraps his free arm around him, rubbing the blanket. “I should have respected you when you asked me not to the first time.”

Donnie wipes at his eyes, “Okay. Yeah. That’s- that’s what I wanted.”

He sniffs. Leo suggests, “How about you get some more sleep? You look tired.”

“I’m dead tired.” Donnie agrees, sounding the part. He closes his eyes, beginning to nod off instantly, only to violently gasp back in consciousness. He doesn't even give Leo a chance to ask.

“Once I fell asleep and you left without waking me up. You have to promise that you won't do that again. You have to. Please?” Donnie tilts his head, scanning his expression desperately. “Please?” 

“I won’t leave you behind.” Leo sighs because it’s so not fair that his brothers are able to pull on his heart strings like this. “You don’t gotta worry about me.” 

He laughs, short and brief, but it doesn’t sound happy.

Leo tries to grasp the joke.

Donnie lets his eyes close, curling into Leo as he does. His older brother tucks the blanket further up his shoulders, leaning his cheek against his forehead. Absently, he wonders how someone so tall could make himself so small. 

“I love you,” Donnie whimpers, barely audible.

Leo smiles, grateful that he made an exception, just this once.

“Love you too, little brother.” 

Awe how completely and utterly fluff. Just two bros sharing some nice bonding time 💙💜 Nothing else happening here.

[bringingourrealitys2life]

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[imagionationstation]

I’ve always loved the idea of the turtles wanting to explore mundane places like schools. They’re just curious about their counterparts whereabouts as well. No idea of this is anything like what Lea was thinking, but it’s what popped into my head so take it because it exists now. Disclaimer: Lee, Don, Raphie, and Mike don’t belong to me.

“Do you think this illegal?”

“Is what illegal?” Leo asks as he peeks into a classroom, scanning the students for anyone familiar. Mikey leans against the wall, heels dug into the ground and toes in the air, squinting at the sky. “Spying on kids at a school. That’s, like, max creepo stuff.”

“We’re not spying on kids.” Leo counters quickly. “We’re looking for our kids. No- wait, that’s not- we’re looking for us. Who are kids in this timeline. Noncreepily.”

“I dunno…”

“We’re not doing anything illegal.” Leo decides. “We’re the good guys. Not a gang of criminals.”

Raph’s voice cues in over the phone. “Donnie stole from children.”

A frustrated, muffled voice chimes in. “I did not!”

“He did.”

“Do you know how hard it is to find this kind of equipment?!”

“No.”

“Really hard!”

“Donatello.” Leo pinches between his eyes, ignore Mikey’s stare. “We do not steal.”

“Borrowing! I am borrowing!”

“He’s totally not giving it back.”

“I will! As soon as I get proper use out of it!”

“Soooo- are we criminals now?”

Leo shoves Mikey, bending down to circle the building to their brothers. He follows. They’re silent, moving unnoticed past uncovered windows. Mikey trips along the way, frantically waving his arms to prevent faceplanting, steadying himself swiftly. He makes sure Leo didn’t noticed and looks over his shoulder, right through the room of students in front of easels and to his angry brother’s smaller counterpart.

Raphie’s eyes widen. Mikey grins, waving.

He lifts his hand in an dumbfounded sort of halfwave, paintbrush tucked behind thumb, and a satisfied Mikey takes off.

He’s out of sight before Raphie processes his arrival and then he’s throwing off his apron, mind racing for an excuse as he snaps out a blunt, “MISS-!”

Mikey reaches his brothers as Leo is reprimanding a sulky Donnie.

“-should know better. I can’t believe-“

“-won’t even appreciate it as much as I-“

Mikey skids between them, hands proudly set on hips. “I found Raphie!”

“What?” His brothers chorus.

“Found Raphie.” Mikey repeats. “Painting flowers and rainbows.”

“What?!” Raph oh-so-brilliantly illiterates.

“Uh huh.” Mikey agrees confidently.

“One thing at a time. You.” Leo shoots Donnie a look. “Put. It. Back.”

“Fiiine.” Donnie groans as he takes off his bag. “But if you need a miracle and I don’t have the right equipment, that’s not on me!”

Leo waves the excuse off as Donnie hops over the window to an empty classroom. Mikey hurries after him, probably eager to go touch things that he shouldn’t be touching, and Leo sticks to both their shells, likely to keep anything from blowing up or returning home with them.

Raph wanders away, heading to the next window with a less empty classroom. The teacher is drilling the students on something that looks disgustingly math-like, and among the students, Raph spots the turtle distinctly like his bossy older brother, ignoring the world around him as he scribbles away at a notebook.

Apparently, he’s paid some attention in training, and Lee perks up after a moment of Raph staring. Their gazes meet and Raph salutes the leader-in-training, casually turning to head back.

He doesn’t miss the way that Lee slams the notebook shut and quickly thrusts up his hand.

He’s smirking as he reaches his brothers. Leo is dragging a pouting Mikey behind him, snapping, “Roof. Both of you.”

Their younger brothers reluctantly obey with a decent amount of grumbling. Leo sees his expression and suspicion crosses his features. “What?”

“Nothing.” Raph copies their brothers, using the nearby tree to reach the roof. Leo joins them a moment later. “Okay, now, before anyone else sees us-“

“If we’re not being illegal, why do we have to hide?” Mikey questions. “It’s a whole world of dudes who’d like us!”

“Because we look like taller versions of the students in that school.” Leo states firmly. “The less people who know about interdimensional travel, the safer those kids will be.”

“And we’re still spying on the school becauuuse…?” Donnie drawls as he wanders over to some skylights. He pauses, hands on his kneepads as he squints through the glass. “Hey, look, basketball.”

His brothers are by his side in an instant. Mikey leans on the glass. Leo hovers over his shoulder and Raph darts across from them.

“There’s mini me!” Mikey squeals proudly as Mike seems to dominate the field. The blur of orange attempts to be everywhere at once, knocking the ball from a fellow player and swiping it up, tossing it to a teammate. “WHOO!”

“Light on his feet.” Raph comments as Leo agrees. “Good teamwork.”

Donnie squints at the stands. “Hey, why’s Don benched?”

“Kid can’t walk on two legs.” Raph offers as he locates him.

Don doesn’t seem to mind his placement, blue penny covering purple shirt, smiling and absently kicking his legs as he watches his younger twin. Donnie lets loose a disapproving humph, but doesn’t argue the point. “Who needs brawn when you got brains, anyway.”

“Ninjas?”

Donnie pointly ignores Leo’s sly comment.

Below them, Don looks to his backpack suddenly, checking on the distracted coach and then digging out his phone. He unlocks it and then clicks something, eyes widening before he looks around. He looks up, spotting them on the roof, mouth falling open.

They all duck back on instinct and then exchange looks.

Mikey laughs. “Busted.”

“Let’s leave them to their game.” Leo decides as he leads his brothers away. They obediently follow suit and Mikey hurries up to him, tugging on his arm. “Cafeteria next! I wanna see cafeteria food!”

Donnie rolls his eyes. “It’s just normal food, Mikey.”

“Or is it?!”

“It is.”

“Or IS it?!”

“Mikey-”

“Alright. Alright.” Leo interjects with a badly hidden smile. “Let’s go find out the truth behind cafeteria food.”

After some more exploration, the group is surprised to find their young counterparts shoving and racing in an frantic effort to find them, panic and hope in all of their eyes when they do.

“What happened?!”

“Who am I punching?!”

“Is there a mission?!”

“FINALLY!”

“Who’s dead?!”

“SOMEONE’S DEAD?!”

“PLEASE tell me there’s a mission-!”

“Woah woah woah!” Leo puts up both hands, looking between the panting kids with a confused expression. “Nothing happened, no one’s dead, no one’s getting punched, what are you doing here and don’t you guys have class?”

The four exchange looks and choose to lie as one. “No.”

Leo raises an eye ridge.

Lee adjust his backpack sheepishly. “…We can still have a mission, though, right?”

“Back to class. All of you.”

“Awww….”

I had the stupiest idea ever of the canon turtles just wandering around the Au kids' school, waiting for them until school's over and while they're already there, wanting to see where their classes are and trying their hardest to hide from view.

They're just trying to peek in from the windows or something and if the Au kids spot them, they'll have a mini heart attack.

Bonus points if literally no-one but the Au kids' spot them and the smaller counterparts are worrying about nothing.

[imagionationstation]

22 and 25 please! 🛹 🎲 with Rise!Donnie and Raph

🛹 - I told you you couldn't do a kick flip! 🎲 - The most unlucky day

Raph knew this day had really taken a turn for the worst when Donnie left. It wasn’t as much the fact that he had left as it was how he left.

Fists clenched, eyes watering, and a bleeding scrape down his leg.

Their brothers’ laughter died when they saw his face. They only got a few seconds to process the new reaction to a wipe-out, and none of them were able to decide how to react before he went shooting into the sky at top speeds. Not entirely unexpected, Mikey and Leo immediately turned to him with wide eyes.

It took Raph a while to calm them down, ask for a portal back to the lair, and instruct them to hang back because “Raph’s got it”.

Those words seemed to calm them the most. And thankfully, neither followed when he stepped through the blue vortex.

He stepped in front of Donnie’s door, waited for it to close, and then knocked. Someone blew their nose. The voice croaked, “Go away.”

“But I came all this way.” Raph responded innocently, peeking at the knob. It’s unlocked, so he wants company. “I just wanna talk.”

“You want to comfort me.” Comes the grumpy voice. “I don’t want you to comfort me. Ergo, leave.”

“Yeeeaaaaah,” Raph twists the knob. “Raph’s not gonna do that.”

“You have to respect my wishes.”

“I’m the birthday boy.” He says brightly. The light’s off. He leaves it off and lets the outside light creep into the subway car. “So my wishes are more important than yours today.”

His eyes go to his leg. Blood has stained against the peeled skin. But it’s not still bleeding, so that’s good. There’s no way Donnie’s going to touch it while it looks like that. And he’s not going to let anyone else touch it while he’s high-strung. Hence, Big Brother comfort time.

“Just wanna talk.” He blatantly lies. “No comfort here.”

Donnie grunts disapprovingly into the pillow that he’s lifted to hide his face. He was probably hitting it against his head to rid the energy that still has his hands flexing around the cover.

As long as it’s not his fists…

“It wasn’t that bad of a wipe-out.” He says, somewhat awkwardly as he steps further into the room. “Don’t gotta be embarrassed.”

“Em notemberesed.” Donnie spits bitterly into his pillow. Raph sits next to him, smiling fondly. “Then why’d you run?”

A beat of silence. Donnie mumbles something that he doesn’t catch.

“Come again?” Raph leans closer. “Actually didn’t get that.”

Donnie tears the pillow from his face, throwing it against his lap. “I’m a dumb-dumb!” He glares, fingers digging into the casing. Raph sits up, getting out of reach of impending violence.

He doesn’t lash out. The fury dies some, and then he looks away. “Im a dumbest dumb-dumb and- and I’m ruining things!”

“Don’t talk about my brother like that.” Raph scolds importantly. “He deserves better.”

“I do not if that’s the truth.”

“Cite your sources.” Raph replies, because if it sounds sciencey then Donnie is more likely to open up than if it’s a feeling talk. “Because I don’t believe you.”

“Where have you been?” He snaps, slowly lifting each finger. “You caught me wrapping your gift, your cake had peanuts in it, the movie got lost, I forgot to tell dad about the celebration, April’s not here either, and now this!”

He dramatically gestures at his leg with his hands. Raph can’t help a light, “I told you you couldn't do a kick flip mid-ramp.”

Donnie shoves at him as he expects him too, freezes, and then immediately claws his hands back into the pillow as if to hide them. Guilt clouds his gaze as he glares across the room. “I ruined everything. I’m not ruining anything else.”

“Actually, you’re sources are based.” Raph pauses. “That’s not right. What’s that- that word when you’re like, when you’re judging something unfairly or, like, with your opinion without-“

“Biased.” Donnie interrupts, because he can’t help it.

Raph lights up. “Yeah! You’re biased-“

“I am not.”

“-because none of that was your fault. You told me not to go into the lab, the baker messed up the cake and we are going to sue because allergies aren’t real is stupid-“

Donnie nods solemnly. Confidently, Raph pushes on, “-movie got lost because Leo’s also stupid and forgot to put it away when you asked him too-“ He earns a firmer nod and a small smile, “-dad should have known it was my birthday and April was gonna be here but her mom surprised her by taking her out of town this week and you don’t argue with Mrs. O’Neil.”

Donnie sighs, “But it was my surprise.”

“And it was a great surprise!” Raph grins as the skeptical look. “And I love that you did this for me. We were at an actual extreme skate park! You did that!”

He flushes, “It wasn’t hard.”

“Uh, if it wasn’t hard to clear out an entire skatepark on a weekend afternoon, we would have done it already.” Raph shakes his head with big brother disapproval. “That’s awesome Donnie.”

“Just feels like today keeps going wrong.” Fingers kneed the pillow with less aggression. “I don’t wanna mess it up. Birthdays... Birthdays are important to you.”

“Like my birthdays would be any good if my little brothers weren’t a part of it.” Raph leans to wrap an arm around him, scooting him closer. Donnie cuddles into his side, refusing to look at him. “You’re trying to comfort me.”

“It’s my birthday.” Raph sing-songs. “Birthday means my wishes come truuuee. I want a birthday hug.”

“You are misusing wishes.” Donnie declares as he relaxes into the hold, pillow held to his chest. “But fine.”

And so Raph stays next to him, not about to drag Donnie back out before he’s ready, more than happy to have this moment sown in as a birthday memory. A phone dings and Donnie slowly pulls his out.

He abruptly shoots up, almost hitting Raph’s chin when he leans down to get a look, eyes shining as he gasps, “Dad’s got a cake! One of those ones from the Hidden City that taste exactly like peanut butter but with no real dangers!”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?” Raph explodes, because he’s been dying for one of those but they couldn’t find a shop that had any. “OH MY GOSH!”

“OH MY GOSH!”

“OH MY GOSH!!”

Donnie scrambles off the bed. “We’re going back! Leo’s portaling him and then he’s grabbing us!” He snatches his board, shoves it into Raph’s hand, and then goes to get the first aid kit. “Hurry, hurry, hurry!” He also pushes that into Raph’s hands as he stims with renewed excitement. “Okay! That’s it? That’s it! Cake! Let’s go!”

Donnie goes to shove him towards the door and Raph eagerly throws it open. Leo’s there waiting for them. Mikey’s gawking at the box that their smug dad holds and Raph scoops Donnie up to charge through.

“This party’s back on!”

Two prompts restricted me so hard but I DID IT!! Not proud of it but I am satisfied. Good job me 👍

[imagionationstation]

16 🍄 with mikey and raph!

🍄 -> You ate a wild what?

Raph notices a problem when Mikey refuses dinner.

His older brother could probably count the number of times when Mikey skipped a meal on his fingers. So when Leo told him to leave it be, Raph promptly and firmly ignored him. He left their injured brother to Donnie’s care and went looking for the turtle that had slipped out of the room during the meal.

He finds him upstairs, vomiting his lungs out.

“You idiot.” He goes down to his side, putting a hand on his head. There’s no unnatural heat. He releases him so Mikey can… Release something else. “Why didn’t you say you were sick?”

“I’m not!” He whines between pants. “My stomach just hurts.”

“And you told who?”

“I’m not a baby, Raph.” He snaps to the toilet bowl. “Go take care of Leo.”

“Idiot.” Raph decides because by the look of his teary eyes and the way he’s grabbing at his chest, Mikey is miserable and he’s got to be an absolute moron if he thinks that he’ll just walk away.

Well. Fully walk away.

He does head over to the stairs to cup his face and scream, “MIKEY’S THROWING UP! MAKE SOME TEA!”

Mikey groans from the bathroom. Donnie calls back, “WHERE?”

“FIGURE IT OUT!”

“REAL HELPFUL!”

Raph heads back into the bathroom. “There. Problem solved.”

Mikey whimpers, holding his chest tighter. After a moment of deliberation, his older brother carefully dislodges him from the toilet and flushes it. Hoisting him from the floor with a low warning about barfing on his plastron, he carries him back to the room that him and Leo share. Laying him on the bed, he grabs the vomit bucket.

Mikey hugs it to his chest, inhaling through his teeth.

“I know, bud.” Raph rubs his arm. “Just breathe.”

“It hurts.” His voice warbles as the tears fall. He’s not sure if the paleness is from the fight not to throw up or the pain. “It hurts a lot.”

“Got to ride it out.” Raph assures. “Gotta-”

The door flies open. Donnie, holding a basket, shouts, “Mikey ate pokeweed berries!”

Mikey and Raph look at him. Then at each other.

The hothead crosses his arms, “Try again.”

“Did you eat these?” Donnie demands as he holds up the bucket. It makes it harder to see what’s inside, but Mikey nods meekly.

“They’re poisonous!” Donnie snaps furiously to hide the anxiety lingering below. “Mikey ate wild poisonous berries!”

“You ate wild what?”

Raph whirls on him. Mikey’s head is halfway in his shell. “…Oops?”

“Why would you do that?!”

“I didn’t know!” Mikey tries to sit up and immediately falls down again, tucking his arms around his midsection. Raph looks to the resident genius. “Is he gonna die?”

“Luckily for him, box turtle metabolisms can handle it.” Donnie huffs as he sighs in relief. “Unluckily for him, human metabolisms cannot. I doubt he’ll die. But the next few hours are gonna really suck.”

Mikey gags and then vomits. Raph pinches between his eyes.

“Maybe now he’ll learn to stop eating random things that have not been okayed as people food.” Donnie is looking directly at Raph but his words are perfectly pitched for Mikey.

The hothead turns him around and shoves him out of the room. “Go make tea.”

“I wasn’t done-!”

He slams the door in his face. After a under-breath grumble, Donnie pouts his way downstairs. Raph moves back over to the bed, takes one look at the tea-streaked face, and sighs. Grabbing the tissues from the dresser, he climbs onto the other side of the bed.

When he lays down, Mikey flips over to latch onto him. He whimpers loudly, buries his face in his plastron, and Raph grumbles, “You’re gonna be fine.”

“It hurts.”

“Yeah yeah.” Raph lifts his face to wipe away the liquid. “Nature’s way of saying to keep away from random berries.”

His lip wobbles, “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Raph remarks as he lets him go. Mikey squeezes tighter, a soft keen of pain reaching open air. “Those weren’t my poisonous berries. And it sounds like you’re already dealing with the punishment.”

Another keen tugs at his heart. Raph wraps his arms around him in return, scratching at his carapace. A bit of the tension leaves. “Breathe, little brother. It’ll pass. I’ll be right here until it does.”

Mikey exhales pitifully. Raph leads him through more breaths.

They ride out the next few hours together.

Wasn’t sure which Mikey and Raph? So you get 2012. And thanks! Love a good excuse for fluff!! 🧡❤️

[imagionationstation]

🩺 with the Disaster Twins!

🩺 -> Worst bedside manner ever

“If you so much as touch me-!”

“You know I need to look-!”

“-going to tie me down-!”

“-wouldn’t have to if you’d stay still-!”

“-get Shelldon in here with the last resort-!”

“-get Raph in here to hold you down-!”

“-WOULDN’T DARE-!”

“-DON’T YOU-!”

Donnie’s knee collides with Leo’s chin and the sudden pain makes him released his hold. The surprisingly slippery softshell shoots out of his grip and throws himself away from his desk. He gets to the floor, but the violent movement throws off his balance. He sways dizzily, stumbling as his world swims and heat streaks his face.

Then a hand is on his wrist and he snaps back into reality. “I’M NOT SICK! I’M WORKING!”

“You’re pale as death and three seconds away from passing out!” Leon hisses as he pulls out his sword to open a portal. Donnie’s sweaty hands prevent him from removing the grip. “Infections don’t go away after three hours of sleep!”

“SHELLDON!”

“RAPH-!”

Donnie slaps a hand over his mouth. Leo snatches his arm and drags him through the swirling portal. The light does not help the strain that his eyes are under. He winces hard as the room blurs, unable to prevent his twin from kicking his legs out from under him.

He hits the cot and the rush of air against his exposed shell burns.

The whine claws up and Leo’s harsh glare remains firm. “I can give you something for the pain if you don’t move.”

“If you drug me, I will bite you!”

He scowls. “You already bit me!”

“Didn’t feel good, did it?!”

“I’m just trying to help!”

“I never asked for it!”

“That’s it!”

Leo tears away from Donnie, leaving him grappling for a hold on the cot. He barely gets himself steady, watching him reach into his blue bag and pull out a- sweet banana pancakes, no, no, no-

His sluggish brain doesn’t have a chance to react. Then the needle is in his flesh and the liquid is gone and Leo throws it away confidently, like it isn’t now a hazard that someone will step on later.

“I hate you,” Donnie eloquently says when he can’t fight back the black creeping in the sides of his vision. He falls forward, caught by his twin, a gentle hand on the back of his head to keep it angled on his shoulder. Donnie remains limp, disoriented but still seething.

“Sleepy time.” Leo cooes as if he didn’t just complete a suable course of medical malpractice. Or assault. Or both. “Just relax. I got you.”

Donnie feels the hiss leave his teeth. The black creeps in closer.

His shell burns. This is not good. He feels awful. This is not good. He’s touching him. This is not good. His shell hurts. This is not good. His head hurts it’s not good STOP TOUCHING HIM-

“Shhh.” Leo reassures, voice sickingly calm. “Big bro’s got you.”

OH HE IS NOT-

Fingers lightly brush the wound. Pain jolts up his spine.

Something tilts. The black drags him down.

Thank you!! 💜💙

[imagionationstation]

I relate to this so hard. You can’t even imagine 🤣

Sometimes I wish people would make edits and voice overs of my art and comics.

But then I remember I barely post my art and I don't make comics.

The curses of being a writer.

Instead, I wish people could make me ficlets TwT.

[imagionationstation]

“Can you listen?”

Raph’s world tilts, the same way it always does when he uses that tone of voice. “What?”

“Can you listen? Just, listen?”

He closes the comic immediately. “If I gotta.”

Mikey enters the room and sits. His head rests against the edge of the bed as Raph puts his feet on the floor. His brother stares at the roof, solemn.

“I think it’s my fault,” His voice doesn’t have the Mikey tint to it. It’s burdened and stiff. He hates it. “That no one likes me.”

Raph’s pinches his arm to stop the impulse to open his mouth.

Mikey’s eyes are distant. He’s faraway, stuck in thoughts that he hardly ever has, in a sluggish moment that makes his movements slow and each word pronounced. “I know I care be weird. And loud. And- and I see them. The looks. From.”

He stops, as if he can’t remember if there was more to that statement. Or maybe he doesn’t want there to be.

Mikey’s supposed to be an open book. And yet, sometimes even he can’t bear to flip his own pages.

“We’re different. I know that. Humans won’t like us. Because we’re... Monsters.” Mutants, he wants to correct, in the same way that he does when Donnie whispers the hateful freak to the mirror.

He digs his fingers into the sheets. Why does he have to watch, time and time again, as it spreads like a plague between them? “And- And not ‘cause we are. We just… It’s just that way for us.”

He looks up. Raph nods, a stiff motion. Not talking. Listening. 

“And I can be different. ‘Cause of my head. And my- my-” He waves vaguely to explain what they both already know. “And it’s not bad. But it can be. Bad. Annoying. And it’s okay. Donnie’s-” Another wave. “It’s not bad. It’s just us. But it’s. For me, it’s like.”

He looks at the ground. “I think. I think if you weren’t my family, I’d be alone.”

Don’t say it- “There’s Leatherhead.” DARN IT- 

“Yeah,” Mikey agrees, soft. Raph exhales, relieved. “Leatherhead’s my best friend.” 

There’s so much defeat. Raph bites his tongue. Mikey mutters, “I don’t know.” 

He waits. Mikey says, “Maybe he shouldn’t be.” 

Raph scoots down to the floor. Mikey doesn’t react. “He’s great. I don’t know what I’d do if he wasn’t. I don’t like thinking about it.”

The lost gaze drifts across the roof. “Sometimes I think I’d be better if I wasn’t me. If I was different. And then I want to change, but then Leo gives me the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack, and then he’s glittery and embarrassed and it’s… Fun. I have fun. But it can also be mean. And make people mad. And I don’t want to change. I don’t want to. But maybe I should.”

He leans on Raph’s shoulder, weighed by defeat. “Raph?”

Raph’s awful at this. He knows that. But he has to say something.

“Don’t know anything about should or shouldn’t. I know you’re my little brother. Don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t. You are. That’s all that matters to me. Which means we’re stuck with each other. You don’t want to change? Don’t.”

He hesitates, scanning his face for any hint that his words are having the right impact on him. “Nobody’s the boss of you but you. World sucks. Humans suck. Some people’ll like you for stupid and some people won’t. Leatherhead’s been around this long. Don’t see him running off any time soon.”

Mikey smiles, briefly. It falls.

Raph follows his gaze to the poster.

He mutters, “Thank, Raphie.”

Raph swallows the bubbling worry and says, “Sure, Mike.” 

They stay there until Mikey gains the strength to retreat to his room.

[imagionationstation]

if youre still taking prompts, could i request 19 with 12!donnie and metalhead— i’ve been missing those two a bit haha

19 = ⚡️-> High voltage

“Hey bud.”

Metalhead chirps as Donnie pats his head, speaking through a yawn. “Yeah, I’m back up. Robot’s not gonna built itself.”

Metalhead trails him to his desk. Donnie picks up the sketchbook, carapace scratching the wood as he sits down beside it. The pen taps his cheek mindlessly. He leans the paper towards the watching companion, asking, “Look good?”

Metalhead raises a hand and touches the paper.

Donnie sighs, “Yeah, me neither.”

He taps the sketchbook against his forehead a few times before he stands. “Back to work.”

Metalhead is there when he stumbles, providing a head for him to catch his balance on. A soft chirp as he goes over to the generator on his desk, but Donnie only opens his toolbox. “Don’t worry about it. Just been a long night.”

He stops at his side to peek over the desk. Then he looks at Donnie. His creator nods drowsily, “Fine, long nights. Really, Metalhead, I’m perfectly capable of missing a few hours.”

When he reaches over, his hand bumps the toolbox and knocks it to the floor. He stares at it, shoulders slumped, as Metalhead begins picking up the tools. Metal hands offer the red container.

Donnie takes it. “Thanks. Gotta watch what I’m doing.”

He places it on his desk and pulls out a screwdriver. Metalhead watches him work for a while, catching every mistake and fumble, patient when his hands shake. His creator slams his fist on the desk and it knocks the pile of the books off the other side.

Metalhead sets a hand on his arm. He takes a deep breath, brushes at his eyes, and says, “I can do this.”

Metalhead takes his word for it and shifts his attention on the mess. He walks away as his creator pulls out a pair of pliers, examining the machine. He picks them up and turns, a danger symbol taking over his vision when Donnie moves to cut the active wire.

The hardcovers hit the floor, the pliers start to slice through, and then Metalhead is ramming his shoulder into Donnie’s plastron. His creator hits the ground, crying out in anger, and Metalhead’s hand closes around the grips, accidentally finishing the job.

The power surge hits his systems all at once. His screen goes wild, decorated in Human and Kraang, and then everything shuts down-

-to power back up a moment later in suboptimal condition.

His fuzzy vision slowly sorts itself out, fingers glitching when he tries to turn his head. His chirp crackles when he tries to speak, frantic screen failing to get a lock on his creator’s expression.

“I did it!” He gasps, shaky hands cupping his head. “Oh, buddy, you’re okay. I cannot believe I was so- but I can fix this. I can fix this.”

Metalhead’s voice box crackles. Donnie smiles, eyes covered by a sheen of liquid. “You scared me. How long did you know it was on?”

He tries to speak. His leg lifts in an awkward position.

Donnie wipes away the gloss and pulls out his tools. “Right. Right. Priorities. I’m sorry, bud. This was my bad. What was I thinking?”

He continues to ask rhetorical questions as he works. Metalhead answers once his voice box functions properly, helping to recode his processor. Once they’re finished with major repairs, he chirps a command and starts walking.

“Metalhead?” He hesitates. Metalhead does not stop. “Where are you…?”

He leaves the lab and goes into the bedroom. He waits in the dark until his creator creeps in, looking around blankly. “What’s in here?”

He points at the bed. His creator sighs. “Metalhead…”

He goes to pull back the covers. He looks at him expectantly.

After a long beat of consideration, Donnie comes over. He lays down reluctantly, eyes already half shut, and says, “I have too much to do.”

Metalhead tucks the blanket over his shoulders.

“I’m going to let them down.”

He pats his shell as he’d seen his brothers do.

“I can’t…” He trails off. Metalhead plants himself by the bed.

He remains there until the evening. Any creature that attempts to cross the threshold is reminded of the extensive weaponry that he bears. After all, Metalhead is made to help and protect.

And sometimes a creator needs protection from himself.

Thinking about Metalhead Rewired. Emotions all over the place. I didn’t know I needed this pain today. Thank you!!! 💜💛

[imagionationstation]

{Are you awake?}

Leo looks at the text with burning eyes.

He really shouldn’t be, but he was. So instead of staring blankly at the roof like he’d been doing since being rudely awakened by nothing, he pulls himself out of bed to go track down his younger brother who probably blew something up and is in need of assistance cleaning up the mess. Or hiding it.

Except. He’s not in the lab. Hmm.

Leo heads towards his bedroom, pushing open the door.

Donnie sits prone on his bed, staring at his t-phone.

Leo yawns, “Donnie?”

Donnie looks at him, eyes glassy, tears tracking his face.

Leo’s stomach drops into his chest. Donnie lifts an arm.

The older brother doesn’t hesitate, moving to his side to initiate the hug, letting him sink into it. He does, but with stiff, sluggish movements. His breath hitches against him. His arms hang loose at his sides, t-phone clutched in his trembling hand.

All he says is, “What is wrong with me?”

Leo doesn’t think about it. “Nothing.”

“I can’t do this.” Donnie whispers, “I can’t figure it out.”

Leo hesitates, “Figure what out?”

“Me.” He whimpers. “Something’s wrong. I can’t fix it.”

“Donnie-”

“Don’t. Please.” Moisture taps Leo’s shoulder. “I’m so tired.”

So Leo holds him tighter, if only so the cracks can’t break him.

And Donnie crumbles, safe until he’s ready to try again.

[imagionationstation]

@puma-or-cougar & @greenlovescats

Here:

He clenched his quivering hands and weakly mumbled, "S-Sorry, guys, I- I messed up the mission, didn't I?" 

"It's not your fault." There was definitely a underlying frustration in Leo's voice. 

Donnie wanted to duck into his shell and disappeared forever. He'd ruined the mission and disappointed his older brother. Hadn't Leo told him this would happen? Why hadn't he listened? 

Everthing was going so well! Yet, turtle luck just had to remain true to form. 

"What happened?" That was Raph. It sounded like he was standing behind Leo and was stewing about something or another. He probably regretted agreeing to come along. Donnie should have known he wasn't cut out for plans or team leading. He should have stayed in his lane. 

Couldn't he do anything right? 

"Baxter caught me by surprise." Donne winced as he realized that this admittance only added onto his already pathetic appearance. Taken down by flyface of all mutants? Seriously? "Threw a vial of some sort at my face." 

The perilous extent of what he said came crashing down at him all at once. "Do I look okay? No face peeling or anything? No spots, weird bruising, or unnatural paleness?"

"You look fine, Donnie." Leo reassured as the clothe was pulled away, as if he was checking to confirm his statement. "How do you feel?" 

"The pain stopped." Donnie breathed in relief, assuming that the lack of command to keep his eyes shut meant that he was allowed to open them. He blinked a few times, waiting for them to adjust to the dark surroundings. 

They didn't. 

"Donnie?" 

Panic seized his chest he scanned around him, trying to find even the tiniest speck of light that could hint that they really were just sitting in an unreasonably dark alley. Everything was the same shade of black and he felt his breath hitch as this sunk in, mind screaming denials as he reached up abruptly.

"Ow!" 

He felt the collision as he hit something and he yanked his hand back, holding it in a fist over his pounding heart as he realized how close Leo's voice was. It had to be only a few inches in front of him, but he couldn't see him at all. He looked down and flexed his fingers, trying to see if he could spot any movement there. 

He felt his hand move in a disorienting way, but still he could see nothing. 

"-Donnie!" 

It occurred to him then that his brothers had been calling his name, and the squeezing on his wrist snapped him from his daze. It was a tight, unnerving grip on the arm that he couldn't see, and from a brother that was equally as invisible, hidden beneath an impenetrable cloak of black. 

"Bro, talk to us." Mikey was taking his turn to speak, and the grip on his wrist tightened. Mikey must have had his arm and his silence was worrying his little brother.

Donnie swallowed hard and he refused to look up, staring down at the black as he tried to convince himself that it was a bad dream. It felt like time was paused, as if the entire world waiting to hear his horrible assessment. "I-I can't..." 

His word died as he felt his hand shake within Mikey's steady grip, looking up as the horror finally sunk in. Mikey's voice was equally scared, like he already knew what Donnie was barely forcing himself to comprehend. "You can't...?" 

"I can't-" The panic bubbling in his gut burst. "I can't see!" 

And Here:

He allowed Raph to lead him away as Leo turned his attention to the youngest. "Mikey. Could you go get Splinter?"

Mikey placed the last vial down on the table and nodded several times, happy to be useful. "On it!" 

He dashed out of the room and Raph release Donnie so he could sit down, but his younger brother somehow managed to miss, chair slipping out from under him and rolling in the opposite direction. He hit the ground and Raph paused guiltily, expecting a deserved outburst of how he should have waited five more seconds to let go. 

Donnie said nothing. 

He blinked rapidly and then pulled his knees up to his chest, settling right on the floor where he fell. Somehow this seemed worse, and Raph hesitated on how to approach his younger brother's sulky air. He decided to give him space, but after a good sixty seconds of silence, he watched his younger brother stiffen. 

Pin-prick eyes darted left and right. He lowered his hands, a note of fear touching his voice, "Raph? Raph?"

"Cool it." Raph walked over and dropped down next to him. His voice came out more irritated than intended, but what did Donnie think he did? Walked off and left him like this? 

His brother really should give him a little more credit. 

"R-right, right." Donnie exhaled shakily. "I just- I can't-" He faced towards the floor. "Nevermind." 

And just like that, Raph felt guilty all over again. 

He wasn't one for reassurance or small talk- not much of an optimist- so he just set a hand over his younger brother's and stared up at the roof, tone bored. "I ain't going anywhere." 

The tension faded from his body almost instantly. Donnie unconsciously grasped his older brother's hand in his own, the hothead's face blanching before reluctantly allowing it. 

[imagionationstation]

If you still want prompts, and Leo and Donnie, 🪟 roleswap lol

🪟 -> Destination defenestration (*evil cackles*)

“Where’s Donnie?!”

“I don’t know!” His fist clenches and the movement burns up his wrapped arm, other hand running over his head. “I got hit by the Kraang and blacked out- we got separated! We have to find him!”

“Wha- you mean go back out there?” Casey demands as he points to the smoke billowing outside the window.

Leo shoots him a dark look. “We don’t have a choice! It’s not like we can stay camped out here anyway!”

“But where would we even-?!”

“DONNIE!”

At April’s cry, the room spins to look at her, missing the moment where shell makes contact with window. They don’t miss the sound of cracking glass or the sight of the body flying straight towards the coffee table. Leo would have been safely out of range, but impulse carried him towards his brother as their family stayed frozen.

Donnie slammed him, shell meeting shell under a spray of glass. Leo hits the coffee table, cracking the legs under the force, sliding back into the couch. He barely notices any pain, scrambling to roll his brother over, heart racing when he spots the deep cracks and the trail of blood leaking down the side of his mouth.

He wipes it away with his wrist wraps, deaf to the muffled conversation behind him. “Donnie. Donnie, little brother, wake up.”

“COME OUT, TURTLES!” Leo hears Tiger Claw. He hears the malice. He hears the pride. “WE KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!”

He feels his little brother flinch. Leo scans his face, cupping it with his hand, “Donnie? You’re okay. It’s okay. I’m not going to let anything happen you. I promise. I promise.”

“Leo.” Raph’s hand is squeezing his wrist. “We gotta go.”

He looks up. Raph’s eyes are hard in fear and worry.

The threat is still out there.

He nods and lets Raph take him.

Footbots swing in from the open window. Leo whirls, makes quick work of them, and then grabs the rope. He looks down, to where Tiger Claw’s weapon is raised, daring him to accept the demand. There’s a smirk on his face. As though this entire situation was a joke. As if the state that his brother lies in is funny.

He ignores Mikey’s shout behind him and jumps.

“He threw him through a window.”

Leo feels the need to explain himself, panting as Mikey pulls him into the vehicle. No one gets a chance to respond as Kraang Prime screeches behind them. The van door slams shut and Casey hits the gas, knocking the leader into his youngest brother.

Neither of them say a word, waiting to readjust to the force, pushing themselves to their knees. The vehicle does a harsh turn and Donnie slides with the motion. Leo lurches toward him, grabbing him before he hits the side of the van. He scrambles to hoist him into a safe hold, gritting his teeth when another turn has his elbow slamming metal.

The laser wound is beyond aggravated. Raph reaches out, saying something, but Leo doesn’t hear it over the blood pumping in his brain and Prime’s screams outside. “I got him. I got him.”

His hand pulls away. Leo stares at his younger brother’s face and then his wounds, trying not to wonder about how he got them. He needs to help him. How does he fix him?

He doesn’t know. Donnie knew that kind of stuff.

Why didn’t Leo learn? He should know. He should know.

Kraang Prime’s cries fade. They’d gotten away. They were running to who knows where, utterly defenseless. No second lair. No idea where Donnie was stashing his Mech. He hadn’t asked to see it.

He never even gave it a chance. Why?

They could have had both. They could’ve-

His muscles tense as the van swerves. Stop. Stop it. Focus.

Donnie’s cold. Donnie’s injured. Donnie…

He learned from books. Books that he has.

Leo’s hand pricks glass as he runs gentle fingers over his arm. They need bandages. Pills. Supplies. His fingers lock over the glass that should not be in his brother’s skin. It’s small, not too deep.

He ignores the bite and pulls it out.

Donnie gasps, lightly, forehead creased. Leo scans his face, testing his heart rate. No change. He’s reacting, but not awake.

He’s not awake. It’s subconscious? He must be scared. Does he know they’re here? Does he know he’s safe?

Leo holds him close, pressing their foreheads together. “It’s Leo. It’s just Leo. I’ve got you.”

The crease flattens. When he pulls away, Donnie lays limply against his collarbone. He’s so pale.

He blinks back sudden moisture. “Donnie?”

His little brother doesn’t move. They need to get home.

“You’re going to be okay.” He swears. “I’ve got you.”

Five minutes later: *abandons him to get supplies* Leo’s lucky his genius brain is not functioning rn /smh And I’m lucky for this ask! I GRINNED when I saw it. Probably my second time using a role swap defenestration on Donnie BUT IT NEVER GETS OLD. Much enjoyment after a long day! Thank you! 💙💜

[imagionationstation]

51 💉 with 2003 Don and Leo! :)

💉 -> I know you hate needles but you need this!

“RAPH!”

When Leo had seen that briefcase under Leatherhead’s arm, he hadn’t gotten the chance to ask him about it. He barely gave it any notice, a meaningless glint of silver in Leatherhead’s claw when his brother was standing beside him, confused and smiling and normal.

He should have asked. He should have questioned him immediately.

What’s that saying? Hindsight is twenty-twenty?

“MIKEY!”

Leatherhead hadn’t said a word about it. Not until Donnie changed. Not until they got to see first-hand how a turtle turns into a beast.

They’d called Leatherhead to the lair in their panic.

And watched as it took three injections to bring their brother back.

“OVER HERE!”

“I don’t understand,” He’d whispered weakly, tired and sore. Four hours of fighting. Two hours of calming his family. More unending nightmares of raising a weapon to a brother, “He was better.”

“Bishop feared it would not be permanent,” Leatherhead admitted as he laid the vials on the table. “I did not want to scare you.”

But he did. They’d been scared. They were still scared. They were…

Leo was scared, every time his brother’s eyes took a demonizing tint.

“WATCH OUT!”

Leo tackles his brother to the floor, ignoring the animalistic snarls as he jabs the needle into his neck. The pitch shoots up into a screech, muscles quivering and bones cracking as the body contorts beneath him. The pain transforms into a wail that only trails off once the job is done, and Leo’s brother is now in his arms.

He’s sobbing as he squirms in his embrace, trying to get distance between them. Leo doesn’t blame him. He doesn’t release either.

“I can’t do it.” He’d whispered when Leo’d caught him trying to sneak out with the vials. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“I know you hate needles but you need this.”

“It’s not that. It’s not. It’s- It’s like acid. Like I’m pumping lava directly into my blood.” Donnie’d shuddered. “It’s like dying.”

“It’s supposed to help you.”

“It feels like it’s killing me.”

“You’re not going to die.”

“I almost wish I was.” He stared blankly at the vials in Leo’s hand, but he wouldn’t look at him. “Then it’d be over.”

“Please.” He gasps, “Please, please, please.”

“You’ll be okay.” Leo keeps the hold firm. “Be still. It’ll pass. It’ll pass.”

“No, no, no,” Donnie’s eyes are full of life again, desperate and glazed and looking at Leo like a brother should when he raised a blade or a tranquilizer gun to him. When he puts him through pain that he doesn’t deserve. And even now, he complies and stops the battle as tears stream down. “Just let me go. Please. Please.”

“I’m sorry.” Leo whispers. “I’m so sorry.”

And suddenly, the trap turns into a hug as a little brother seeks comfort and relief against agony, and Leo squeezes like he’ll never let go. Donnie made him promise that he wouldn’t let go after he came home from a world without him.

He can’t let him go. He won’t let go.

Leo promised.

Thanks! I have literally never wrote- no, that’s a lie. Quite possibly have never posted anything about the 2003 boys before this short. So, neat! New experiences! /is terrified

[imagionationstation]

🪤 with Rise Leo!

🪤 -> It’s a trap!

Leo lands on Raph’s carapace, feet propped comfortably and a hand gripping a lip. Raph doesn’t acknowledge his sudden descent, strides even as he accounts for the weight. His smug smile still rests on his face so Leo pulls on his mask tails in rebuke.

“I want a rematch!”

“Why?” Donnie questions dryly. “Raph beat you fair and square.”

“Someone’s a sore loseeeer.” Mikey hums as the chain swings beside him, lighting up the alleyway in a beautiful circular blaze. “Can’t take the loss like a maaaan.”

“I am a turtle!” Leo declares, ignoring the hand that tries to stop him from pulling. “And Raph cheated!”

“I did not.” Raph manages to get his hand on Leo to drag him off. He crosses his arms as he’s lowered to the ground, pouting as he adds, “And you are a sore shell turtle.”

Donnie snickers as Raph pats his head patronizingly.

“I could prove it if Raph would rematch me!” Leo insists, despite knowing that his older brother is no cheater. Mikey makes the gesture and he quickly adds, “I’ll just ask Hueso! He’ll be on my side!”

“When is Hueso ever on your side-“

“Can’t hear you jumping through a wall HUEEESSSOOO-”

He dives through the portal and emerges in a roll, eagerly hopping to his feet. His smile falls as he surveys the area, listening to his brothers pop out beside him. One by one, their laughter and statements all die away. Confirmation that Leo is not seeing things.

Mikey asks, “What happened?”

That is a good question. Leo isn’t sure if he wants an answer.

The restaurant is a mess. No, a mess is an understatement. The restaurant looks like a yokai stampede had stormed through. Tables were flipped, glass was crushed, and most of the candles had been knocked on their sides, darkening the area to a creepy extent. There were no signs of life. No customers, no wait staff, and no mob bosses with a lifelong grudge that could have caused this.

And most importantly, no Hueso crying over the wreckage.

Leo steps forward. Raph whispers, “Leo…”

The hesitation is obvious. He pretends not to hear the word, walking further into the room, careful to avoid the shards under his feet.

His brothers begin spreading out behind him. Raph shoves a table, heading for the kitchen. Some candles roll when Mikey moves a table cloth. Donnie’s goggles glow when Leo glances over at them, scanning the area with brighter vision than any of them have.

Slightly jealous, he presses into the dark, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the low lighting. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

He sets a hand on his hip and lets his eyes trail. He looks up.

His breath catches in his throat.

There’s. Something. A lot of something.

Glowing eyes in multitude across the ceiling, looking at him and his unsuspecting brothers. It’s too dark to tell what they are. None of them have moved yet. They’ve just been watching.

Goosebumps prickle down his arms. Leo lifts his hand at a calculated pace and they don’t react. Slowly. Slowly. Careful.

His hand touches the hilt. Donnie shouts, “IT’S A TRAP!”

That’s all the permission the things need. They dive down from the roof faster than Leo can account for and he doesn’t even get a chance to get a good look before claws have locked into his arms and the back of his skull is slamming the ground.

Pain blurs his vision and steals his cry, locking him down as panic tries to get a hold. Then Mikey screams.

And Leo remembers the sword in his hand.

No time to think, he uses it.

IT DELETED MY FIRST DRAFT. THIS IS MY SECOND. If it’s not very good, that’s why. I can’t decide if I like it or not but I’m peeved about the deletion. So I get no say ✌️ And thank you!!!

[imagionationstation]

51 and 52!! 💉🪡 with Rise Leo and Mikey please! Also love your little blurbs so far! Thank you for writing them!

💉 -> I know you hate needles, but you need this! 🪡 -> You need stitches

“BARRY!”

Someone lands on his couch. He can’t image the strain that his spring are currently under. Not that it was a good couch anyway. He’d had many of far better quality in his previous home.

“BARRY!!!”

Oh right. The intruders.

Draxum sets down his equipment and stands up from the kitchen table. He heads out into the living room, a hand in the doorway as he surveys the two turtles on his couch.

Mikey has both arms around his brother, a swirling golden portal above them. Eyes squeezed shut as he sucks in another lungful of air, he bellows, “BARRY SHEEP DRAXUM!!!”

“That is not my name.” He scans the bleeding wound as blown eyes pop open. “What is going on?”

“Leo’s hurt!”

“And why bring him to me?”

“I didn’t!” He points up, losing his grip, and then scrambles to regain hold on his brother as he slips limply off his lap. “That did!”

“That portal is yours-” He stops himself from a pointless discussion. “You are hurting yourself. Close the portal.”

“I need my hands.” He pleads. He does not.

But that is yet another pointless discussion.

With a heavy sigh, Draxum flicks his hand and a vine extends from the pot near them. Massive and curling in on itself, it moves over to the couch. Mikey pushes his brother onto the surface, dark red staining down his orange hoodie as he raises his arms and claps at the portal. It shuts with his unnecessary movement.

The scars on his hands continue to glow.

Of the two pressing matters, Draxum chooses the one that’s at risk of bleeding on his floor. His brother’s arm has been sliced open. Nothing detrimental to his abilities, but if he’d lost enough blood to knock him out, then his very life was in imminent danger.

“He will need stitches and infusions.” Draxum reports as he places gloved hands on the wound, examining it. “And you need to temper your magic before it drains you.”

“I’m trying!” He says through gritted teeth, glaring at his hands. The way his eyes pinch read of pain, but the glow doesn’t fade. “It’s not working. Is Leo going to be okay?”

A small vine sprouts from the big one. Draxum rips the sleeve from his robe and gives it to the vine. It presses down and curls around the wound as he goes to retrieve one of the first aid kits that he keeps in every room. There’s nothing safe about an alchemist’s work.

When he turns back, Mikey is at his brother’s side, hands patting the sides of his legs rapidly. The scars burn brightly, only dimming when he comes to stand next to him. Draxum sets it down on his makeshift table. “They are responding to you. Stop perceiving danger.”

“I’m fine!” He snaps. “Leo’s the one bleeding!”

“His wound will heal moons before yours does if you do not calm yourself soon.”

“I’ll calm down when he’s okay!” The yellow is blinding to glance at. There is no realm where he is not in pain. Tears prick at his eyes as he glares. “So help Leo!”

“I am attempting to help both of you.” He hands him a vial. “I know you hate needles-”

Mikey takes it, uncaps it, and jabs it into his arm. Draxum stares at him as he takes it out and slams it on the vine-table. “Now help him!”

Draxum doesn’t move. Mikey throws out his arms. “Well?! What are you waiting fo-!”

Mikey passes out, crumbling to the floor. The marks on his arms die.

Draxum gently lifts him from the floor and sets him on the couch. Then he goes over to his brother.

The vine offers the needle and surgical thread. Draxum checks to make sure the bleeding is slowing as he pulls out his phone. He sets it down next to him, mindlessly accessing his contacts.

He dials. She picks up.

“Draxum? Why are you calling me?”

“O’Neil. We have a situation.”

Teeeechnically, I’m looking for combo characters or combos emojis BUT you’re so sweet that I can’t bear to disappoint! Thank you so much! ✨

[imagionationstation]

Mismatched Twins AU - Take One

There are some things Donnie knows that he’d be better off not knowing. Such as, how the act of flesh coming together is equally as painful as the sensation of it getting torn apart.

It was like the first time Leo did stitches, but magnified by one million and all over his body. His limbs are still flickering as he gasps in the air that he’d momentarily spent an eternity without, fingers clawing into the rock under his fingertips to stop his swaying body from tilting over. His word is a whoozy mess of blacks, grays, and clouds when he tries to look up.

It doesn’t take his genius to conclude that he’s not in New York.

His eyes sting, lightning pains traveling down limbs as the bones form back before his eyes. He wants to pass out. He wants his brothers to appear out of nowhere to catch him when he falls, letting him loosen his grip on consciousness so he doesn’t have to feel or see the way red muscle is covered by green skin. 

But he’s not in New York, which means they won’t be coming.

He can’t let his guard down.

Not until he’s sure his surroundings are safe.

And definitely not until he’s able to find a way home.

It’s what his Sensei would say. It’s what his brothers would do.

Donnie bends down, forehead against the coarse rock.

He gives himself a couple extra minutes to summon his bearings. The trembling calms under the pricking sensation left by the utter agony as it shifts out of existence. It feels like everything is “asleep,” blood flow finding it’s way back through his body, waking up systems that shouldn’t be able to work after getting erased from a reality.

Then he’s as he was before, fine and whole, with the rough surface under his limbs poking into his flesh. Brown pads cover his body and as he cautiously raises himself up, he sees that his straps have returned as well. He checks his belt and finds everything where it should be. He clutches his t-phone even though he has no signal.

Slowly, hesitantly, he touches his face.

His palm does not press against fabric. He lets out his breath, ragged and uncertain, the echo of his own screams taunting him. He can still picture every second, see her demented smirk, hear her apology before she tore him down to nothing. 

She tore him down.

So why would she build him back up? 

The beginnings of a ringing explosion has him unfurling from his safe position, looking up to the sky. He’s been in his fair share, and it sounds like that detonation range is bound to be massive, as well as destructive. His racing heart tells him that he’s glad to be awake, because otherwise he’d probably never wake back up. 

The sky is fully lit, a sphere of colors brightening the gray atmosphere in a way that is both spectacular and obviously highly unnatural for this environment. It’s blinding to stare directly at, so he raises a hand in front of his eyes to cut off some of the glare. 

Donnie can hear the reaching echoes of hard metal cracking under the weight of heat and pressure. The force of it would probably take out all of New York in a single blow. So unless it’s a mechanical sun coming apart, he’s pretty sure that he’s witnessing the blast of some kind of nuclear alien weaponry. It’s absolutely gorgeous and insanely brutal and he lifts his t-phone to snap a picture.

Then he spots the debris shooting away from the centre of the explosion, and decides that he should move.

Evacuation of the landing site, it is. 

He gets to his feet, half expecting his legs to give out underneath him, but they carry him as he sprints. His instincts are good because a large piece of something lands where he’d just been, smoke billowing into the air. 

He reaches a ledge, surface curved in an unnatural- or, maybe completely naturally for this dead habitat- way.  He turns to go back.

Then he sees the ginormous, smoking ball of black headed towards him. Living his number one priority, he pulls his grapple from his belt, aims it at a rock and fires.

He tugs once it catches and then pulls himself up.

He reaches the curve off the top, panting, and looks up. 

“yaAAH-” A spinning projectile appears out of nowhere and tries to take off his skull, but he brings his head into his shell, almost losing his balance as it whooshes over him. 

He watches it, as the blur of silver and blue hits the ground and scrapes away from him. It’s a sword, plain as day with a hilt covered in collected dust. He moves toward it as blue markings glow faintly, reflecting in curious brown eyes, and he makes the choice to grab it for the road. If not for any other reason, then shiny. 

The thunderous crash of matter meeting rock consumes his surroundings, quaking the ground underneath his feet as he spins to face the behemoth of a sphere. It drowns out the vocal roar of fury that reverberates with as much destructive power, warning him to get as far away as possible in a similar frequency.

He looks back, startled as he spots the tall creature throwing out it’s arms, and then faces the wreckage. The rocks crumble and bow back underneath the sphere, and if that is a shell of a radioactive alien bomb, he’d much rather be going in the opposite direction. Between the shadow of a figure over his shoulder and potential alien contamination, he thinks he’s more comfortable facing the anger. 

An easy decision made, he darts for the leen, black figure that’s dotted in bright red. He’ll just go around. Ninja stealth, guy won’t even notice him. 

It stalks towards the rock, lumbering steps swaying the body. It’s mouth doesn’t move but he can hear the bare inflictions of a voice from where he is, fist raised before it’s slammed down. He slows, momentarily, as he wonders why the creature is taunting the rock, before a limp form comes into view. It’s pale green with a plastron that cracks under the force of the blows, not even half the size of its assailant. The blue mask catches his attention and he changes direction without realizing. 

The turtle is unmoving except for violent flinches as the creature unleashes a whiplash of pain, slamming down on the shell and face of the defenseless form over and over and over. 

Donnie doesn’t know what’s going on, but he doesn’t think anything is worth that kind of abuse. He tosses the sword, grabs his bo, and reaches in his belt.

“YOU WRETCHED- LITTLE-“

Donnie crosses the distance, tosses his smoke bombs, and swings. 

“PE-!” 

Fists are combined as one and raised in the air, brought down as a smoke bomb slams into his face and shoulder. They explode upon impact and cover the body, sending the creature into a fit of coughs, stumbling back as arms wave to get rid of the purple cloud.

The admittedly intimating creature only seems to get bigger as Donnie gets closer, so he comes to a stop a fair distance away when it bellows, “WHO DARES-!?”

It whirls, locking its gaze on him, and he waves.

Either his presence or his action makes it pause, a blatant confusion on it’s disgusted expression, and Donnie takes in who he’s facing.

Evidently the face where a face should be is for decoration. It’s actually a purplish creature in the chest that’s dawning a metallic suit and beating another life form to its heart’s content. It reminds him of a Kraang with an insane growth spurt and a thirst for violence.

He points to the sky, keeping its attention on him. “That wasn’t either of you, was it? ‘Cause I don’t think that’ll help the environment any.” He looks around, at the endless expanse of rocks. “Not that there’s much hope for this place.” 

The creature looks to the turtle at its feet and then back over to him, as if the notion that there might be two mutant turtles in existence was too much for it to comprehend. He’s in for a big surprise then…

“There are MORE of you?!” It moves, suddenly, slamming a metallic foot onto the turtle’s chest. It pins him against the rock, drawing a weak cry. “HOW!? How did you hide this from ME?! It’s IMPOSSIBLE! I saw his memories- I know EVERYTHING about your PATHETIC FAMI-!”

Donnie moves before he finishes his first line of questioning, launching himself at the metallic leg. He kicks, but that does not budge the grip like he intended, and he bounces back off, flipping onto his hands and then to his feet. The action turns it’s glare on him, snarling, and he laughs nervously, “That… Didn’t work.”

“YOU!” He looks to the explosion, and then back to Donnie. “How did you get here?”

“Um.” Donnie doesn’t know how to answer that. He climbed a ledge? There wasn’t exactly a fence keeping him out. “Like it’s hard?”

The turtle squints at him and the creature looks supremely ticked off. Now if only he could separate them…

Donnie whirls his staff into a defensive position, determined to get the cruel creature away from the poor mutant. “Also. Pretty sure that’s none of your business.” 

“Then I will make it my business.” He tears the points of his feet from the rock- ah, that’s what prevented his momentum from shifting the metal. Duly noted- and he sneers at the turtle that falls onto its plastron, leaning on it forearms, breathing heavily. “Then I’ll come back to deal with you.” 

The turtle doesn’t answer, and Donnie feels the rocks shake as the creature stomps towards him. The surface clearly isn’t stable, something that he makes note of as he puts a few steps between them. This isn’t going to end well.

Already died once today. Why not make it a second time? 

“Now then.” It leers, smirking down at him. “Let’s see your failed attempts at heroics before I teach you true strength.”

“See, I could do that.” He muses because that’s a very likely outcome of how this fight is about to go. He pops his blade. “But I’m not really big on failure or pain, so I’d like to give winning a try. Or at least surviving. What do you say?”

The suit swings and Donnie raises his staff, the pieces coming apart in his hands as it hits his plastron. He stumbles back, yelping when it grabs his leg. It’s a lot faster than he originally anticipated and it hoists him up in the air, very likely about to give him a harsh introduction the ground. “OKAY! THAT’S A NO!” 

Donnie reacts first, face to face with the sneering creature, blade meeting purple flesh.

It squelches upon impact and the mass of yuck screeches in pain, throwing him and allowing him to roll to his feet. 

One of Sensei’s very first surface lessons. 

Don’t fight the armor. Fight the man inside. 

Or, alien, in specific cases. 

He darts away and grabs the sword from the ground, hiding it behind his shell. He glances to the turtle that has risen to his feet, relying heavily on the rock for support, staring at him instead of running like any sane turtle would do in this situation. 

Donnie looks to the furious alien as it places a hand over where the suit’s heart definitely is not and roars, “YOU DARE WOUND ME?!” 

“You… Did try to wound me first.” He points out helpfully.

The creature charges. He throws a smoke bomb as it lurches for him, barely avoiding the claws. He crosses the distance while it swipes blindly at the smoke, overcome by fury as Donnie drops next to the startled turtle. 

“Blue and blue.” He slips the hilt between the fingers not clutching something, and offers, “I’m going to assume this is yours.” 

“You can’t beat him.” The turtle warns, staring at him with wide eyes as he bears his weigh on shaking legs. Donnie exhales in exasperation. Tell me something I don’t know. 

But, if this turtle has a family somewhere in this wasteland, Donnie might as well make sure that he gets home to them. 

The genius stands. “I’m only going to be able to distract him for so long. Get moving, don’t look back.”

He throws a smoke bomb far from the turtle’s position. When the creature looks towards it, Donnie is standing in the mist, smirking with a bravo that he does not feel. “I’m not a big fan of bullies. They’re all bark and no bite.” He points a finger in the air. “Lived with one all my life. I would know.”

“YOU WANT TO SEE BITE?!” 

Donnie feels the blow before he realizes that hunk of metal even moved, an intense momentum brought against his shell in a blast of fire. It sends him flying, tumbling and rolling on the ground, only stopping because the creature appears in front of him, snatching him up to throw him into a tall rock formation.

“That-” His breath quivers, dizzily watching the creature split between one robot and two. “That was not fun. Oooh. Wow. Yep.” 

“You will tell me how you arrived.” The creature snarls, finally only one armor. “Or I will pry the information from your brain myself.”

“Whether or not you do the torturing, information would be pried from me since I don’t particularly want-”

The metal fist swings down and Donnie rolls forward, jabbing into flesh seconds before metal fingers stab into his arm and wrenches it back out. It rips the blade from his hand, crumbling the wood between its fingers, metal bent when it hits the ground. Pain burns up Donnie’s arm and scarlet trickles down skin as the pinprick eyes lock on him, sharp teeth visible as Donnie kicks out, hitting metal chest and failing to get him to release.

“You pests never tire of your weakness. Filth does not deserve to rule with Krang, nor the sweet relief of death.” Donnie freezes, taking in the inflection in the name, watching as a wide grin locks him with deadly intent. “Let us show you how it feels to suffer instead.”

Donnie hits the ground. Once, twice, three times- his shoulder takes the force of the blow, and he’s sure it’s fractured by the time that Krang decides to forcefully return him the ground. His world spins, pain blossoming along his arm, and he knows that he only has one chance for survival. 

“Oh please.” He forces, voice cracking with nerves. Please work. Please work. “Save the big bad routine for someone who cares.”

Krang slams a fist down, hard, and he hears the crack under his carapace. Lightning burns up his chest, igniting agony where metal met protective scutes, and it’s getting a little hard to breathe.

He almost regrets not choosing the alien bomb. Almost.

Donnie summons his inner Raph, rolls his eyes, and croaks, “You hit like a whimp.”

The Krang roars, fists combined and brought down in one brutal blow. Donnie rolls at the last second, the armor slamming the ground beneath him, splitting open the cracks that Donnie’s carapace had already made on the unsteady surface.

His grappling hook comes out and he swings as the ground opens beneath them and gravity drags the Krang down.

It’s deep, and if he goes down, there’s no way either of them are getting back up. He grabs onto a piece of the edge that hasn’t fallen in yet, painstakingly dragging himself up even as fire eats away at his shoulder and blood smears on rocks. 

He cuts his leg but keeps going, dragging himself across the surface, deflating onto a large, cool piece of metal. He keeps his arm around it, grapple in hand, catching his breath and staring into the chasm of the Krang’s own making. 

Something crumbles within it as the Krang roars.

Then, a blur of black is leaping onto the edge of the surface, dust billowing out with him. He lands, walking forward even as the ground crumbles behind him. Donnie scrambles back upright, hand on his shoulder as horror leaps from his racing heart and into his throat.

He retreats as the Kraang covers the space. “You tried to defeat Krang with a hole. How desperate. How utterly, irredeemably, weak.” 

Donnie shakes his head in disbelief as the Kraang grabs the rock tainted in blood and raises it above his head. “Let’s try this again, shall we?” 

“Actually-!” Donnie is tackled, thrown onto the ground as his world flashes blue. He looks up in shock, to a blue mask faced away, grinning with bloodstained teeth.

They’re suddenly several feet away, but the Krang is catching up fast. “Would you look at the time! Places to be!” 

“GET BACK HERE-!”

“Rain check on the brutal death!” The hand trembles as it tightens around the hilt. The turtle’s red stripes glow in tune with the sword, every mark on metal and skin lit with a power that seems to explode outward from the blade. “Adiós!” 

Donnie is swallowed by blue. 

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