#rottmnt synthesis

[trilobitepunch]

I asked the resident angst fairy for sketch ideas earlier so here, have a sketch dump.

2 AUs and one OU.

8]

[colibrie]

Uncharted Territory, part one.

All love and credit to @trilobitepunch, for the amazing art work,the listening ear, and the endless encouragement. You are amazing Trilo!

“I’ve got snacks!”

Mikeys cheery voice cut through the racetrack of his thoughts, shepherding Leo’s attention back to the bustle and hum of the fuel depot. His younger brother was skipping towards him, boxes of ration bars and a few brightly colored bags filling his arms to near bursting. 

“The selections not that great,” Mikey continued, cheeks puffing in annoyance as he reached Leo, hopping comically on one leg as he fought to open the cargo hatch with his toes. “But I did manage to finagle two boxes of the better rations out of the shop keep, aaaaaand she even threw in some of those sweet sticks I like!”

“The ones dad banned you from having because of that time you were literally bouncing off the walls?” Leo teased, leaning casually against the ship’s hull as he flashed a smirk at his baby brother. “Force help us all.”

“Leeeeo!” Mikey whined, beak wrinkling in embarrassment as he scowled affronted at big brother. “I was six! Don’t be a jerk!”

“Hey, as the only other person stuck in an incredibly small ship with you for the foreseeable future, I think I have a right to be concerned!” Leo goaded, reaching out to casually flip the fuel valve off as the warning chime sounded. 

“Just for that, I’m gonna hide the good rations from you,” Mikey shot back as the hatch finally opened with a soft hiss. “You get the spinach and spiva protein flavors, while I get the strawberry and chocolate.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you got strawberry?!” Leo squawked, arms flailing as he spun around, feet briefly slipping on the steel grating. “Hand em over!”

“No!” Mikey jeered, sticking out his tongue as he shoved the boxes and bags into the hold.

“Miiiikey.”

“Who’s the funny one now Leon?!”

“Your face,” Leo muttered lamely, pursing his lips into an exaggerated pout as he disconnected the hose. He projected a cloak of sulky energy, shaking his head with covert fondness as Mikey crowed in triumph and bit into one of his sweet sticks. He could let his little brother think he’d won this round. At least one of them deserved to laugh through this.

He blinked, and the world fell away once more.

Crimson blades reflecting off obsidian armor. The wall crumbling under his shell, like wet tissue paper. Screams of anger and fear as the darkness closed in, air cut off as something heavy twisted his lungs…

“So!” Mikey’s voice snapped Leo back once more to the fluorescently lit present. The smaller turtle had ducked under the shuttle’s wing and now stood at his side, oblivious to Leo’s lapse in attention as he worked with way through his treat. “What do we do now?”

Leo quickly turned away, scowling at the fuel hose as he wound in back into the holder.

“What do you mean?” he asked, proud of how even his voice stayed as he worked to get his face back into a casual smile.

“I mean, we’ve covered step one, right? We’re far enough away from home that no one will recognize us. We’ve got a full tank of fuel and enough rations to last two weeks if we play things right. What’s step two? How are we going to get Raph and Donnie back?”

“First off, we are going not talking about things where anyone passing by could hear us,” Leo chided under his breath, turning back to Mikey with a roll of his eyes.

“There’s hardly anyone around!” Mikey protested.

“And there are even less people around in hyperspace,” Leo retorted, flicking his fingers in a dismissive shooing motion, “so go start the pre-flight checks so we can get out of here.”

“Ugh! Fine! Be that way,” Mikey groaned, stomping away towards the cockpit with an energy only the youngest member of a family could muster.

Leo watched him go, sucking in a subtle breath through his teeth once his sibling was safely ensconced within the metal walls of the ship. He let his body sag for a second, leaning his temple against the riveted metal. Exhaustion seemed to press in from every angle, cheerfully reminding him of how large his sleep debt had grown in the week since they’d left their home and their father behind. How many nights his insomnia kept him awake, listening to Mikey’s squeaky snores while his thoughts raced at double time. Hours spent staring out the view screen as stars blurred past, fighting to keep his gritty eyes open as incomprehensible nightmares hounded the darkness behind his eyelids. What little sleep he had found was haunted by his twins’ parting words, repeated over and over like a tattoo beaten into his brain.

Find me. I need you. Find me. I need you. Find me. I need you. Find me, find me, find me…

I’m coming. I swear.

“Cmon Leon,” he muttered, pushing himself upright, shaking out his sluggish limbs and angling body towards the hatch as the engines hummed to life. “You got this.”

“Good job on the pre-flight munchkin,” Leo called, plastering a bright grin as he sauntered through the door. “Now outa my chair.”

“Doesn’t have your name on it,” Mikey supplied the rote reply, fingers tapping a happy beat on the consul. “I can launch us.”

“Not on your life brat,” Leo answered as he shoved his brother out of the pilot’s seat, snickering at the indignant squawk that followed.

The controls were comforting weight in his palms as he smoothly guided the ship up and out of station, the restless need to move in his soul settling slightly as velvety folds of the cosmos greeted them once more.

“Can we talk about things now?!” Mikey asked peevishly, flopping into the copilot seat.

“Sure. We can talk. We can talk about the stars, or the latest holo’s. Or where you put those strawberry ration bars. Or-”

“Leeeeeeeo,” Mikey cut in, drawing his brother’s name out in a sing-song tone that barely covered the hard edge reflected in his smile. “What’s the plan? I know you have one, you always do.”

“Of course I have a plan,” Leo hedged, careful to keep his eyes forward and smile easy as Mikey eagerly leaned in towards him.

Perhaps “plan” was a generous way to describe the looped track of findthemfindthemfindthem that had dominated his mind from the moment he’d stormed away from their father, drowning in a hurricane of disbelief and fury. He could not remember where he’d gone to wait out the remainder of that day, or what he might have done. He could barely remember sneaking back into the house to fill a bag with clothes, food, and a few meaningful trinkets. The need to move, to do, to fix things had simply been to great for rational thought to penetrate.

Finding Mikey waiting by the shuttle that night had been like a bucket of ice water to the face, the tempest of his emotions spluttering under his baby brother’s boundless spirit and unyielding will. Every smile, laugh, and hug soothed the embers further, calming the storm enough for clearer thoughts to fill his sleepless nights. Thoughts that wasted little time in confirming just how supremely stupid he’d been acting. Donnie and Raph out matched them in both strength and training, and if their last meeting was any indication, neither was likely to be open to simply talking things through. Mikey’s force abilities were fledgling, and Leo’s were inconsistent and unstable at the best of times. Following his feelings would have led him straight into an early grave. and now it wasn’t just Leo’s shell on the line.

Leo could admit, if only to himself, that he was still flying utterly blind through this. He did not have a plan. No clear course to retrieving those they had lost. But Mikey didn’t need to know that. Leo was nothing if not a proficient performer. Short a plan, he reached for his next best skill, improvisation.

“We are never going to match the people who have Raph and Donnie as we are now. They've proven they can wipe the floor with us,” Leo started as he sat back in the pilot’s chair, idly scooping up a spare gasket to roll through his fingers as he stared hard out the view screen.  

“What’s this “with us”? I seem to recall only one of us getting their shell beat,” Mikey answered with a proud smirk, only to let out another squawk as the gasket nailed him between the eyes.

“As I was saying,” Leo grumbled, “If we want to stand a chance of saving our brothers, we need to get stronger. And to do that we'll need a proper teacher.”

“But who could do that?” Mikey questioned, absently chewing on his lower lip as he cocked his head in thought. “All the Jedi are dead.”

“Splinter survived with two kids in tow,” Leo countered, smiling his most confident smile as he piloted them away from the fuel station. “If he could do it, I am sure there had to have been others who got out and went to ground.”

“Yeah, but… finding a random Jedi hiding in the galaxy… isn’t that is like finding a needle hidden in an ocean of needles?”

“You’re right,” Leo acknowledged, thinking hard. “But we aren’t looking for any random Jedi. We… are… going to find Master Karai. She was Da-Splinters Master. If anyone survived the purge, it would be her, I know it. We just need to find her somehow.”

“Oh!” Mikey perked up, sparks dancing in his smile as he reached out and unsteadily called the holocron to him with a wave of his palm. “We can use dads holocron and the force to find her!”

“Huh?!”

“If she was dad’s master, then he must have gone a lot of places with her. Places she might have gone to hide when the temple was destroyed. If we use the force to look through the maps, maybe it will tell us which one.” Mikey reasoned, tongue poking out between his lips as he tossed the glowing cube between his palms.

“A nice thought, but that's not how the force works Mikey,” Leo declined with a shake of his head.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“How come?”

“It just…doesn’t?”

“That doesn’t sound like a good reason to not try. The recordings of Master Plo Koon said that the force is in everything.”

“It is, but it is not like my magic tricks Angelo. It can’t just make things appear,” Leo tried to explain, struggling to dig back into hazy memories of temple classrooms and supreme boredom. “They told us Jedi masters could use it to pick out individual force signatures in a crowd, but only if they were familiar with the person or knew what to look for. I mean, not even Grandmaster Yoda could find someone all the way across the galaxy!”

“Master Plo also said the force has a will of its own. What if the force wants us to find her?” Mikey countered, staring hard at the holocron before looking up at Leo with hope burning strong and bright. “It led Raph and Donnie to us, I know it. And, I don’t think it would have done that if it didn’t want us to help them. If finding Master Karai is what we need to do that, then I just…I have a feeling the force will steer us in the right direction.”

“Mike…”

“What do we lose by trying?” Mikey coaxed, holding out the holocron.

“It’s…yeah, okay. Sure. Knock yourself out,” Leo sighed, looking away with half shrug.

“We. We can knock ourselves out. Because we are going to do it together.”

“Uh, no we are not! Do I need to remind you of all the reasons why it would be really bad for me to try to use the force? Particularly in a tiny ship in the middle of outer space?!”

“I don’t remember her. Not like you do. And you were the one who just said that a Jedi needed to know the person they were looking for. You don’t have to do anything big, just try to focus on your memories of her. What did she look and sound like? How did she feel in the force? Tell me about it, and I’ll handle the razzmatazz side!”  

Maybe it was the sleepless nights, or the lack of better options no matter how hard he scoured his brain for one. Maybe it was that he had never developed a full proof defense against Mikey’s “please” face. Either way…

“Fiiiine,” he groaned, engaging the autopilot with a flick of his wrist before flopping back in his seat. “I want it on the record that I am humoring you, because there is no way that is going to work. And I am calling the right to rubbing it in when it doesn’t work.”

“And I will be happy to make you eat an “I told you so” sandwich when it totally does.” Mikey replied, beaming. “Now let’s do this!”

Leo reluctantly swiveled the pilot’s chair to face his brother, knocking their knees together. Mikey released the cube, the device opening as it rose to float between them.

“Man, this is stupid,” Leo muttered, begrudgingly holding his hands out, palms turned towards the cube as though warming them on the world’s worst campfire.

“You’re being stupid,” Mikey replied absently, copying Leo from the other side. “Stop complaining and tell me about Master Karai.”

“What’s there to say? She was a dedicated Jedi. She was awesome with lightsaber combat and could be strict when it came to training.”

“How did you meet her?” Mikey coaxed.

“She volunteered to take shifts in the creche whenever she rotated back to the temple,” Leo replied, taking a deep breath to steady himself before reaching back into cobweb covered memories. “She could be a bit awkward sometimes, but she…she cared.”

Leo smiled faintly, eyes slowly losing focus as his attention turned inward, mind wandering further down the paths of remembrance.

“She was loyal to the council, but she never really followed their stances on not forming attachments. Even though she wasn’t in the creche often, she was one of the few people who took the time to understand the four of us. Our personalities and what we needed as individuals. You used to spend time between her visits drawing her all kinds of pictures, then you’d make her sit down and go through each and everyone of them. She’d give you her full attention, every time.”

“She sounds nice,” Mikey murmured, eyes falling to half-mast as he tried to reach for that fickle feeling of the force inside of him.

“She was one of the few that had the patience to understand Donnie, to see him for the genius he was. She never scolded him for things he couldn’t control. She tried to learn what set him off, and tried to get things that would help him cope when I wasn’t there, even though it was against the rules. And she was always there as a listening ear for Raphie. He always looked out for us, but Karai was the one he went to most with his problems. She could always tell when he was getting upset, and she’d take him somewhere to let him blow off steam.”

“And what about you?” Mikey mumbled, closing his eyes fully as something warm bloomed in his chest. Something that crackled like the brightest bonfire, filled him from head to toe with warmth. It swirled in his veins, happy to dance, happy to be, yet unhappy to be so alone. It stretched instinctively towards a distant, cloudy aura, a weak glimmer of deep blue lightning flavored with ozone and storm winds. Seeking, searching.

“She got me,” Leo trailed off.

Lightning blue flinched, shying away as the golden fire prodded it.

“What did she look like? What did she feel like? Do you remember?” Mikey mumbled, fire following some unspoken instinct to keep going. Between them the holocron began to rapidly cycle through maps.  

“She was about my current height. Long black hair. She liked to wear two strands down by her face with the rest pulled back. Light skin, black eyes. She liked to wear long green robes while at the temple, and we used to love to pretend to hide in them. She was…she felt like your favorite blanket after a day in the cold, or my favorite cup of tea. Soft and reliable, and safe…”

Fire hummed. Lightning sparked, finding that tiny, barely mended gap.  

“She made us feel safe.”

For a moment, lightning touched fire. Something snagged, a loop of thread pulling tight. Mikey snapped his hands closed, holding onto it with everything he had. The holocron went still, washing the cockpit with a triumphant glow as it presented the chosen map.

“Omigosh it worked!” Mikey cheered, eyes snapping open to eagerly take in their new destination. They had done it! He had done it!

“Take that Le…Leo?”

His older brother was pale, beak scrunched and shoulders faintly trembling with pain as they curled inward. One hand covered his eyes, fingers digging deep into the sockets as the other hand clutched his chest. Sharp breaths whistled between clenched teeth as a slick of dark red rolled steadily from his nose. The impression of wind and ozone quickly fading away as Mikey scrambled out of his seat.

“Shell Lee, I’m so sorry! What can I do?!”

“It’s fine,” Leo mumbled, leaning away from Mikey as he pulled himself upright. Enthusiasm for their accomplishment fizzled out like a dying sparkler as Mikey watched, chewing anxiously on his cheek as he frantically ran through a check list of this brother’s symptoms.

“Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Is anything numb? What’s your full name? Where are we? Who is the-“

“Whoa Angelo! Slow down. Kinda to the first, meh on the second, no on the third, and I don’t need a concussion check. It’s the usual stuff. Mainly just a headache.”

“You sure? The way you’re holding your chest-”

“Yes, I’m sure. Relax Angie, or you’ll start getting wrinkles to rival Splinter.”

The balm of relief coated his nerves as Leo relaxed back into his seat, expression shifting from a pained grimace to an indolent grin as he casually wiped his face with the back of one hand.

“Plus, I didn’t blow anything up this time, so score me some bonus points!”

Mikey huffed, gently shoving at his older brothers’ shoulder before pushing himself back to his feet. Headaches weren’t new. Headaches they could handle.

“Do you want a stim shot?” he asked, glancing at the ship’s small med kit.

“Nah,” Leo denied with a dismissive wave. “We’re better off saving supplies, just in case. I’ll just nap it off once we set coordinates for… the Yakai system?”

“Yeah, that’s what the holocron landed on! Do you know it?” Mikey inquired, leaning in to admire the holomap that still floated between their seats.

“No but look at it Mikey. There’s nothing there. Just an asteroid belt and some low-grade planets.”

“Sounds like the perfect place for a Jedi to hide out!”

“Low-grade means no organic life dumb dumb. Nothing lives there.”

“But there isn’t any harm in going to look!” Mikey rejoined, straining to lean across his brother towards the autopilot.

“Ack! Mik-sto-getoff! We aren’t wasting the fuel.”

“Sorry, can’t hear you!” Mikey chirped, beaming as consul chirped to indicate the successful input of the coordinates.”

“Ohmi-”

“Lets just go and have a quick look! If we don’t find anything we’ll do things your way from there. Unless you’re scared to admit I could be right…”

“…Fine. But not only do I get to rub your face in it for eternity, you’ll owe me. Whatever I want, whenever I want it.”

“I can’t wait. Now go lay down. Autopilot says six hours till we reach Yakai.”

Leo whined and grumbled as he was prodded out of the pilot’s chair, dragging his feet as Mikey herded him to one of the benches.

“You nap, I’ll fly.” He insisted, pretending to ignore the dark bags gathered beneath his brothers’ eyes when he pulled off the blue mask.

“It’s not flying if the autopilot’s engaged,” Leo sniped petulantly, laying back reluctantly when Mikey pushed on his plastron.

“Whatever you say. Nighty night bro!”

[trilobitepunch]

Refreshing my memory lol

Why is the Uni-Ball One P so much fun to draw with...

[trilobitepunch]

Here we go! Collecting things in one place! This is for all things RotTMNT x SW-related, specifically this little AU story @colibrie and I accidentally cooked up. Story is ongoing, updates happen when they happen!

Several years after the Clone Wars and the Purge of the Jedi, the paths of brothers thought long lost, cross...

Navigation

Main Story - S Y N T H E S I S

Act I

Mikey and Leo

Meetings: Reunion and additional images

Meetings: Familiar Strangers

Meetings: Resonance - Part I ✦ Part II & III ✦ Part IV ✦ Part V

Reflections: Part I ✦ Part II

Confrontations: Doubling Down - Part I ✦ Part II ✦ Part III

Confrontations: Friendly Fire

Confrontations: Ricochet, Donatello

Confrontations: Bullseye, Krang

Confrontations: Collateral, Raphael

Act II

Teaser

Uncharted Territory - Part I ✦Part II

Inquisitorious - Side Mission

Genesis: Decompression

Extras

May the 4th

The Inquisition

Concept Sketches: The Boys

Omake - Helicopter Blades

Concept Sketches: Grand Inquisitor Krang

Concept Sketches: 5HL-DN

Building 5HL-DN

One Step Closer to the Edge: Inquisitor Donnie

Pen Sketches: The Boys

A Field of Space-Lycoris

[trilobitepunch]

This is where you find stuff.

RP-Related sketches

Bound By the Light of the Moon - RotTMNT Edo AU

S Y N T H E S I S - A RotTMNT x Star Wars AU Story

That "Fang" AU...

General RotTMNT sketches and stuff

Inktober Stuff - 2023 | 2024

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I'll take requests of the Rise variety so long as they're not nsfw or shippy, but I get final say! I'm not taking commissions so please don't request anything super-complicated. Just drop 'em in ye olde box.

I'm also open to art trades or collabs cuz it sounds fun! :D

[trilobitepunch]

~~~

As much as Donatello loved his elder brother, there were times where having one as big, strong, and protective as Raphael demanded some significant drawbacks.

"Rescue like a BOSS! "

This moment, limbs bound all the way to his wrists and ankles, ignominiously slung over Raphael's shoulder as blaster bolts peppered the hallway behind them, was one of those times.

"For the last time, this is not a rescue!"

"You're tied up in the middle of a rebellion lair!" Raph exclaimed, shouting to be heard over the sizzle of blaster bolts and the crack of crumbling concrete. "How does this not count?!"

"Firstly, I would hardly deign to call this second-rate hovel a lair. I mean, they barely have a functioning network, and their data scrambler was so pitiful I could have cracked it in my sleep! Secondly, I elected to allow a temporary restriction of my motor faculties to increase the probability our success by seventy percent."

"Ya wha now?"

"Oh my neutrons, I let them tie me up!"

"Well that was stupid! Why'd ya do that?!"

"To lull them into a fake sense of ease in order to illicit greater quantities of quality intelligence of course. Also, three incoming on your six!"

Donnie ducked in close to Raph as blaster bolts sang overhead, wincing as a chunk of rubble slammed into his bound elbows. Raph snarled, the sound echoing menacingly within the restricted confines of the hallway.

"Hang a left. There's a defensible room," Donnie gasped, and Raph followed his direction without further question. Before long the durasteel door was slamming closed behind them, cutting out the chaos as beyond the rebels floundered and failed to coordinate through the virus he'd implanted within their communications array.

"Did you really have ta let them turn you into a sausage?" Raph huffed, gently lowering Donnie to sit against the wall. "You know hand-to-hand Don, I know ya do! I taught ya!"

"It's hard to extract information through a mouthful of broken teeth Raphael," Donnie huffed, fighting back the beginnings of a pout as his big brother pulled out a small vibro blade. "Besides, that would leave no fun for you."

"Awwwww, you thought of me? I'm touched, brainiac."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, then hissed as the ropes snapped away, returning blood flow to his limbs in a shower of pins and needles.

"Easy."

Raph's big hands carefully eased his arms down to his sides, surprisingly deft fingers massaging blood back into his palms and fingers until the tingling stopped.

"It's fine Raph, you don't have to-"

"I want ta Dee. I'm your big brother. Looking out for you is my job. So let me do my job, okay?"

"I… you…could help me up? I do not think my equilibrium is yet up to the task," Donnie acquiesced, smiling ever so slightly as Raph's face brightened.

"You got it buddy! Alright, up we go!"

Another hiss squeaked past his lips as Raph carefully set him on his feet. Dull pain flashed across his lower back, throbbing a low threat that more would come should he attempt to move before his body agreed to.

"Ya good?"

"Mmmmm. Just a minute," he sighed, ignoring the growing shouts beyond the door in favor of leaning into his taller brother's embrace. A greedy part of him drank in the feeling of encompassing warmth, reveling in the elusive sense of safety only Raph could provide. For these stolen moments there was not a power in the cosmos that could harm him. Not with Raph around.

"… getting kinda noisy out there," Raph rumbled eventually, reluctance in every line of his body as he slowly pulled back. "You ready, or do ya need a lil longer?"

"No," he replied, stepping back. He ruthlessness clamped down on the small, childish part of him that wailed yes and shoved it deep into the box within his mind. "I'm ready."

Blood red light painted the room in harsh contrast as two blades hummed to life.

"You take out those at the door. I'll tidy up the loose ends."

----------

I apologize for my awful writing... I don't remember how this scenario came up but I've been wanting to draw it for some time now. I also wanted to include @colibrie 's original text for it! How do these nerds go from goofy to scary in 0 seconds?

[trilobitepunch]

[trilobitepunch]

*just puts this here and walks away slowly*

[colibrie]

Confrontations: Friendly Fire

Credit to resident art genius (and Donatello consultant) @trilobitepunch.

Keep your head centered, and shoulders down. Align hips, knees, and ankles to ensure even weight distribution. Space feet twelve inches apart…

“You good Don?” Raph whispered, his deep voice rumbling like thunder in the dense hush of the corridor.

“Fine,” Donatello replied, eyes trained carefully forward as stark gray walls loomed large and cold around them. Dull steel gleamed weakly in sterile light, painting the world in somber shades as the brothers moved swiftly towards their destination.

Arms to the side, hands open. Do not fidget or flex your fingers. Chin at a 45-degree angle to the chest. Eyes following the same line to the floor. Facial muscles must remain in neutral position three. No chewing of the lips, cheek, or tongue. Blinking limited to fifteen to twenty times a minute. Respiration rate will hold steady at twelve to eighteen breaths per minute.

“Ya sure?” Raph prompted; an emotion Donatello could not identify at the moment slipping hesitantly into his tone. “I know things got kinda crazy out there for you. I can give the report this-”

“No,” Donatello quickly cut in, neck muscles groaning with tension as he jerkily shook his head. “I already told you; I am fine. Further, you conveying the report will only arouse suspicions.”

“Oh…right.”

Keep your voice at neutral level one. Present the data, and only data. Maintain calm. Maintain control.

Carefully he gathered those volatile elements within him. Emotions, incomprehensibly sharp and barbed, hazardous as an untested solution. Once he had them, he reached for the box that he kept in the deepest recesses of his mind, the only other survivor of his time within the temple. It was a heavy thing, reinforced in layers of steel and will and sealed with a thousand locks. Its fathomless depths swallowed his burden, stripping away the unwanted and unnecessary to allow data to flow through his thoughts uninterrupted. The ache in his heart deadened, permitting his body to shift and morph in accordance with his thoughts.

“Everything is alright Raphael,” he assured, allowing himself the space of one heartbeat to feel relief as his words came out with the desired lack of inflection before he shut that emotion down too and locked it away with the rest. The door at the end of the hall loomed large, a maw reaching out to swallow them as they passed through “I will handle it.”

I will do this.

I can do this.

“Inquisitors.”

He bit down on the urge to shiver, steeling his spine as both he and Raph snapped to attention. He carefully kept his eyes forward and breaths measured as his superior’s exoskeleton stepped from the gloom of his inner office. Burning yellow eyes swept over them, a long mechanical tail lazily swiping from right to left as clawed hands folded behind his back.

“Inquisitor Krang,” they intoned together, dropping into identical salute that their leader dismissed with a lazy flick of his tail.

“Back so soon,” Krang mused, baritone voice dangerously light in comparison to the baleful red eye that glared unceasingly down at them.

The claws of one hand rose to casually trace his metal faceplate, producing a shrill screech that stretched the uncomfortable silence. Beside him Raph shifted slightly, discomfort evident as the permission to speak continued to be withheld, but Donatello resisted. His posture remained perfect, his face still and breathing metered as the sound assaulted his eardrums. He knew this game. He had played and lost so many times before. This time, this time he would win.

I can do this.

“Report.”

He closed his eyes and took half a step forward.

 “Sir. Following the reports of possible Jedi in sector 4B, we deployed and identified two individuals. Upon confrontation…”

Carefully chosen words poured past his lips, a clinical and concise script that outlined events in as few details as possible.

I can do this.

In his mind the box shivered, the tiniest of cracks opening.

Mikey eyes reflecting fear and a lack of recognition for the strangers who shared his blood.

I can…

Leo, frozen. So close but so far…

No.

He pushed the images back, forcing them into the box.

I can do this.

“…Neither target demonstrated force related abilities, even when pressed. It is possible that the informant was wrong or lied to curry favor with the Empire.”

“And where are these subjects now?”

“We were separated from them when the building came down. They escaped.”

“Oh?”

Such a soft syllable, yet it sent a bolt of icy fear through his gut. He forced down the urge to swallow as Krang turned away, claws rasping stridently against the floor. His shoulders hitched half a centimeter upward before he could stop them.

“Two potential force sensitives, ostensibly untrained, managed to thwart two fully trained inquisitors. Unusual, given the lack of displayed talent. Tell me more about these two subjects.”

“They-”

“Not you.”

Wh…What?

Lightning speared him, eyes flaring wide as his thoughts ground to a halt. In the corner of his eye Raph flinched, shock telegraphed for the whole galaxy to read.

“M-me?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“N-no sir. Sorry.”

 Raphael stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with Donatello once more.

No.

This wasn’t right. Krang never asked Raph to report. Why was he asking Raph? What had he done wrong?

Stay calm. Stay calm. You can fix this, just…

“The subjects were like us. Looked and acted like they were siblings. The older one was Donatello’s height, bright green, with red crescent markings on his face and blue face mask. The younger one came up to the first one’s shoulder, was a darker green, and had an orange face mask.”

Sweat broke out along the back of his neck, the muted lights within the room becoming painful as the images of his twin and baby brother broke free from the box once more. His eyes slammed shut against his will, squeezing tight as he fought to push them back down.

He knows what they look like… oh force he knows what they look like.

Mikey’s sweet round cheeks, the left one smudged with hints of orange and yellow paints. Leo’s brilliant red crescents, his pride and joy, perfectly framing dark eyes that mirrored Don’s own.  

Stay calm. Stay. Calm. It’s fine. Appearances can be altered. Breathe. BreatheBreatheBreathe. You can turn this around. You can do-

“And how did they act upon encountering you?” Krang prompted. Even with his back to them, Don could feel the weight of those eyes, yellow and red, bearing down to delicately carve his nerves from their protective sheaths. Pins and needles prickled down his arms and legs, stinging and nipping the tips of his fingers and toes as his armor chaffed against unbearably sensitive skin.

Don’t answer that, Raph. Don’t…

“They were surprised. The older one kinda froze up when he saw us. It was like he was looking at a ghost, or something. The little one seemed clueless and freaked out. He tried to get the older one to leave, but, uh, we moved to separate them. I took the little one, Donatello handled the older one. The little guy had a lot of agility. Looking back, that might have been from some force abilities. Not trained though. Kid was running on instinct. I didn’t see the older one fight, but he survived getting thrown around Donatello, so he could be-”

Don’tdon’tdon’tshutupraphhowcouldyou-

Nothisisyourfaultyourfaulthowcouldyounotprepareforthis?

His hands clenched, nails biting deep into the meat of his palms in search of something grounding. An anchor against the sensations crawling through his veins like sludge.

StopstopstophowdoIstopthis?

The crack in the box grew a little longer.

Mikey. Effervescent and unguarded, brighter than a star. His baby brother, force signature bubbling with innocence and raw ability, defenseless against shadows that would snuff out his firework soul within a heartbeat.

Leo. Shattered and fragile and vulnerable within the force. No shields or walls to hide behind. A cracked shell that would be obliterated with a flick Krangs claws.   

Donatello could not let that happen. And that meant he had to pull himself together.

He forced himself to suck in a subtle breath, ignoring how the air shredded his throat on contact.

Calm. Down. You are probably giving away more than Raph is at this point. It’s just Krang playing games to get under your skin. Stop giving in. All these details are inconsequential so long as he does not have the context to put it all together. He doesn’t know. No one knows. And that gives you the advantage.  

"Interesting," Krang purred as he turned back to them, slit pupiled eyes flickering over Donatello’s body as though it were a particularly intriguing holopad.

He does not know. Breathe. Stay calm. Don't give in. He doesn't know. He can't know...

Krangs smirk deepened to as he caught and held Donatello’s gaze, a cruel sneer that shone with wicked delight as his superior’s gaze then slid pointedly to Raphael.

"Very interesting."

He knows...

All the air in the room disappeared, evacuating his lungs as a wave of terror swallowed his thoughts. His limbs locked; muscles durasteel ridged as Krang sauntered away. The lights in the room were lasers, piercing flesh, and bone to shred his brain. Every tap of Krangs claws crashed against his ears like cymbals, deafening him to all but the pounding of his heart. In his periphery Raph’s gaze bore down on him, the silent questions within it pinning him down as the guillotine hung high overhead, doom preparing to drop.

“Your failure might have revealed a unique opportunity,” Krang mused, the barb at the tip of his tail flashing like a knife as he strode back towards his desk. “I must decide the best course of action regarding it. Your punishments will have to be decided later.”

“Yes, sir” he mumbled, the words barely whispering past his lips as his throat threatened to close around them.

“You two are temporarily dismissed.”

[trilobitepunch]

Iiiit's sketch-dump time! Synthesis-flavored!

It's ya boy! Look, it's not SW without a droid and I do love me my droids. SHELLDON may not be turtle-shaped but he still has some sass as a modified personal medical droid.

George and 5HL-DN hanging out. As you do.

[trilobitepunch]

Sketchdump for this SW crossover nonsense.

[trilobitepunch]

....so in my excitement to throw that other pic up yesterday to accompany @colibrie 's story snippet, I completely forgot to add the other pic that was supposed to follow it.

There we go! Please check out the scene writeup for this part. :D

Previous | Next

[colibrie]

Genesis: Decompression

WE'RE BACK! Our (slightly belated) gift this holiday season is a new synthesis update! As always, credit for art and sanity goes to the amazingly talented @trilobitepunch. If you haven't subbed to her yet, go do it! If you have, feel free to scream your thoughts at us! (seriously, you should see the paragraphs I write about all the ways I love Trilos art, and it deserves so much conversation and analysis).

"I am afraid it's not much," Karai warned as she pushed open the door, shooting a smile over her shoulder as she beckoned them to follow her in.

The house was indeed small, consisting of a central room from which two doors extended from the back wall. The right wall was taken up by a fireplace, before which sat a small round table with two chairs, beneath which a threadbare rug covered the floor. The other wall held cabinets and a workbench, the scarred surface heavy with multiple neatly organized projects.

"As you can imagine, I don't often entertain guests," Karai continued, snagging a piece of flint before heading towards the fireplace. "But it's warm, dry, and most importantly, it's safe. There's nothing here for the empire to exploit, so they do not bother with this planet beyond the occasional half-hearted patrol."

"It's great, Master. Really." Leo answered, barely daring to blink as he looked around.

"Yeah. It's a lot like our house back home!" Mikey added, words fizzing with so much bubbly joy that some idiotic part of Leo's brain wondered for a second if his effervescent baby brother could float away with it. "All it needs is a mural or two. I could totally paint one for you if you'd like!"

"That would be lovely Michaelangelo, thank you," Karai nodded, lighting the fire with a swift and decisive strike. "Now, given what I saw of your shuttle, I am willing to go out on a limb and say you two have been living mostly off of ration bars. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Master."

The words tripped instinctually off his tongue before Leo could question their purpose, or validity. After all, it wasn't as if the title held all that much weight now that there wasn't an order left to uphold it. It wasn't like it had particularly special meaning to him either. He hadn't bothered calling Splinter by his title in years and had zero plans to do so any time soon.

Yet he honestly couldn't picture not saying the honorific when Karai turned her smile on him. Not when the warmth that buzzed like bees in his chest felt just like it did when he'd been smaller, coming to her with every secret and insecurity that had harried him.

"I thought so. Michelangelo, there is a root cellar outside, around the corner to the right. Please go and fetch me three potatoes, an onion, and some ceebak root. Leonardo, please fetch water, and some meat from the smokehouse in the back."

It was easier than breathing to comply. Mikey scrambled towards the cellar, and Leo all but floated towards his tasks, hands moving on autopilot while his thoughts skipped and twirled like stones across a pond. Time stretched like one of Mikey's canvases. He blinked, and suddenly he was at the table, staring at an empty bowl while the fire shot sparks up the chimney and into the night. His stomach was pleasantly full, the last hints of something rich, warm, and earthy lingering on his tongue. Across the table Mikey was chattering a mile a minute, hands weaving and dancing with enthusiasm as he regaled Karai with stories of their training escapades.

"Goodness," Karai chuckled, grey eyes glinting as she raised her mug and took a sip. "Dangling off a sheer drop to train one's reflexes is certainly a... unique approach to training."

"Right? But Leo swore up and down that that's what you made him do at the temple!"

"Oh?"

Leo shrugged loosely as the attention turned to him.

"Eh, it was close enough."

"I almost went splat!" Mikey protested, though the laugh he was suppressing slightly ruined the attempt at indignation.

"But you didn't, didja? Ergo, you learned something, so, you know, you’re welcome."

"Oh yeah, Leon? How about I tell her about that one time you tried to..."

"Do it and I'll tell her about how you-"

"Alright, alright. Settle down you two," Karai cut in, amused but firm as she watched them make faces at each other. "There will be a time to fill me in on accounts of your adventures, but it's getting late and it’s time to rest. Tomorrow I will clean out the storage room for your use, but tonight I can only offer cushions and blankets in front of the fire."

"Pretty much anything sounds better than the shuttle back bench at this point," Mikey agreed, a yawn breaking free as the youngest leaned back and stretched his arms over his head.

The sight caught at the muscles of Leo's jaw, and he had to fight hard against the urge to follow suit. Limbs that had been light suddenly felt sluggishly heavy, spine curling as his neck burned with the effort of holding up his head. His body cried for sleep, but his mind recoiled from the very notion, stubbornly forcing his lids to part with every heavy blink. He couldn't face another night shadowboxing with his insomnia, endless hours trapped watching the shadows creep that much nearer while his thoughts turned on him. Perhaps worse, he didn't think he could face more dreams filled with his twins’ persistent calls. His stomach flipped, threatening to cramp as he glanced towards the door, mentally rummaging for an excuse that would pass both Master Karai and Mikey. Maybe a final tweak to the shuttle camouflage? A quick perimeter check? Yeah, that could work. Even if this planet was as secure as Master Karai said, a little extra caution couldn't hurt.

"-cushions are in the back of the storage room. You might have to dig for them."

"On it!"

"Thank you, Michelangelo."

"I'll clean up, then do a last sweep. You guys hit the hay," Leo volunteered as Mikey scurried away, pushing himself up before swiftly gathering the bowls and plates.

The night air was brisk as he ducked through the doorway and headed towards the well. The sky above was awash in start light, diamond-encrusted obsidian that softened the edges of reality with gilded silver and shadow. The darkness held out its arms to him, an old and tiresomely familiar friend happy to walk new paths.

He'd have answered it's welcome, if not for the appearance of a hand at his elbow.

"Where are you going, Leonardo?"

"Uh...to wash the dishes and check the shuttle? Like I just said."

"Ah, then I shall accompany you."

"No, Master you've done more than enough for us. It will only take me a few minutes max, so you should head in and-"

"I know it has been a long time, but I have not lost the ability to tell when you're lying, Leonardo."

"Huh? I'm not."

"Or, when you are avoiding something," Karai continued, staring him down with such knowing eyes that he had to look away and fight the urge to squirm.

"It’s nothing, really. I'm probably just a little paranoid after spending so much time traveling. I'll settle down after I take a walk."

"A walk that will "accidentally" lose track of time and end only once the sun has risen?" Karai asked pointedly, one eyebrow rising as thought silently daring him to deny it.

Damn...he had forgotten about that. He’d often snuck out of creche as a child to wander the halls of the temple on nights when his insomnia became insurmountable. He’d eventually be returned to either Karai or Splinter by irritated temple guardians, sheepishly offering the excuse of “losing track of time” to account for his ventures. It wasn’t something he’d expected her to call back to after all this time. He needed to change tactics, quickly.

"Heh, you've still got it, Master," he nodded, tilting his smile to be just the right mixture of boyishly sheepish and disarmingly charming. "Okay, how about this? I'll wash the dishes and go for a quick spin around the perimeter. Fifteen minutes, max. If I'm not back in that time, you can send Mikey after me. Kid is better than a stopwatch and has got a sixth sense, I swear."

"Hmmm...alright. You may wash the dishes," Karai nodded after a moment, stepping back.

"Number one dishes washer, at your service!"

He tossed her a casual salute, then set about scrubbing away every lingering scrap of food while his mind furiously worked on new solutions to the presented problem. He really should have considered that Master wouldn't fall for his first excuse. This wasn't Splinter he was dealing with after all. Karai paid attention. She was a pro of reading between the lines, a master of finding loopholes. Almost as good as Leo himself.

He'd have to do better. A lot better, to stay ahead of her. Fortunately, the situation wasn't yet impossible. He could give her the plates, take the fifteen minutes head start to scout the area for good places to chill unseen. He'd let Mikey bring him back, then sneak back out after the others went to bed. He'd have to be careful and ensure that he was back before they woke up, but so long as he appeared ready and was able to perform, it shouldn’t be too difficult to pull off.

Yes. That was a much better plan. All he had to do was keep his head and play it cool. Easy.

"Okay, that should be it," he called over his shoulder, stacking up the wet dishes and utensils before scooping them up and turning to face Master Karai.

"Here, could you-"

"Leave them there to dry, so we can have our walk."

"Our... walk?"

"Yes," Karai nodded, deft hands plucking the plates from Leo's grasp, setting them aside before returning to loop around his arm, "there is a small path around the garden that is perfect for a stroll."

"Oh, you don't need to-"

"Needs can come in different forms, Leonardo. Much like opportunities. One should never pass them by."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. You'll understand in time. Come, let's go this way."

"I-wha-hey! Master c’mon. I know we just got here, but I'm not a kid! I can handle going on a walk by myself."

"Of course, you can," Karai agreed, nodding as she steered him steadily to the distant silhouette of a garden. "You, by your brother's accounts, are a skilled pilot and a good teacher. You know how to navigate the marketplace, manage resources, and strike shrewd bargains. You kept yourself and your brother safe while you searched for me. By all accounts, you've become quite the accomplished young man Leonardo. I'm very proud of you."

"O-oh...I... uh..." Leo stammered, tripping over his tongue as his companion pulled him onto a dirt path that seemed to follow the perimeter of the garden beds. Even under the veil of the night the heady scent of the turned earth, compost, and something delicate, faintly like vanilla, perfumed the air. Every now and then, stiff stalks would brush against his side and shoulder, leaves of velvet and silk sliding across his cheek and shoulder in gentle caressing sweeps.

"Oh, what's this? Cat got your tongue?" Karai teased, skillfully pulling him around an invisible bend. "That's not like you. If memory serves, you've always been good at finding words to fit every occasion."

"I am! I mean...I just didn't...so if you mean that, why are you coming with me?" Leo spluttered, the exhausted coils of his mind flickering and struggling to grab back the reigns of control that he had, somehow, lost again. Frustration flared, hot and bitter on the back of his tongue, but he tried to quickly swallowed it back down.

"Do I need a reason?" Karai asked.

"Everyone has a reason."

He blurted out the words before he could fully process them, and every cell in his body burned to take them back. For her part, Master Karai did not seem particularly upset by his outburst, or by his words. Her only initial response was a considering hum as she turned them down another near-invisible route.

"Well, were we to use your logic, then I believe I've already made my reasons clear. I am proud of my dear sweet Blue, and I wish to spend time with the man you've grown up to be. Is that disagreeable to you?"

"No! No, you're right. I've missed you too Master," Leo quickly agreed, pulling her a little closer to his side in an improvised hug as something strange and uncomfortable rumbled in his chest, expanding and stretching until even his skin felt wrong. "Things have been so insane, I guess I am still trying to get my head around all of it."

"And yet, you've successfully adapted," Karai asserted, fingers squeezing his bicep in turn as she guided him under some kind of structure covered in vines. "You took in the situation, analyzed the variables, then formatted and executed a plan to obtain help."

For a while they stood in silence, only the crunch of muffled sounds of nature and the soft rustle of their clothes to indicate their presence within the garden. The air seemed to hold its breath as the tension around them slowly built towards a crescendo, filaments stretching taunt, poised to snap.

"...I didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Do any of that. I didn't analyze anything. I didn't plan anything. We weren't looking for help, because I didn't think there was even a minute chance that you were still alive. I just said we were because of Mikey. He trusts me and I couldn't..."

"Couldn't what?” Karai prompted him after giving Leo a few more moments of quiet to chew on his words.

"I couldn't...face admitting to him how badly I'd screwed this up," Leo bit out, the syllables sour in his mouth as he pulled his arm out of Karai's grip.

"This... What is "this"? What's happened, Leonardo? What's driven you two away from the home Yoshi built for you?"

"He goes by Splinter now, not Yoshi," Leo obfuscated, and somehow, he could feel the look of disapproval she gave him in reply.

"Leonardo."

"Well, he does! Kinda a weird choice as far as an inconspicuous name goes, but hey I'm not the name police."

"Fine. What happened that drove you out of Splinters home with no plan or backup?" Karai pressed, undeterred.

"He... they... he lied to me... to us. He's still lying!”

"They? Who is-"

"I mean," Leo plowed on, throwing his hands up as he turned away and started to pace, "what kind of “father” does that, huh?! "So sorry for being an awful person and a fraud, but I still get to dictate how you react to the biggest possible bombshell being dropped on your life." Worst. Betrayal. Ever. Score zero. No applause."

"Leonardo, slow down-"

"Did you know he was going to take the Holocron away from Mikey? Kids got more natural talent in his pinky finger than half of the jedi in the temple combined, and he made him feel like crap about it! Like there was something wrong with him and his dreams! That's why we had to hide his training! That's why we were on that bloody moon instead of at the marketplace! That's why this all happened!"

"Why what happened?! Please, slow down and-"

"Donnie and Raph!" Leo yelled, voice raising to be heard over the sudden blast of wind that seemed to come out of nowhere, the plants in the bed to his left trembling in obscurity under its might. The weird thing was that the air didn't seem to be moving. Weirder still, his voice kept rising.

"He told us they were dead, Master! Killed in the purge, just like the rest! And we believed him, right up until those same "dead" brothers showed up in black armor and tried to kill us!"

"Donatello and Raphael are alive?!"

"YES!"

Something smashed behind him, ceramic sherds tinkling a shattered harmony as they hit the ground. Wood overhead groaned and creaked as if straining under a great weight.

"Leonardo, please, calm-"

"Calm down? Oh yeah, totally! Raph tried to smash Mikey into a paste, and my twin put me through a literal wall, but sure! I'm totally calm! See?!"

He tried to pull in a deep breath, but for some reason his lungs forced it back out, fast and sharp pants hitching his shoulder higher and higher. He tried to pause, but words kept pouring out his mouth, a flash flood of poorly connected sentences and thoughts that refused to be ordered or contained.

"He was so angry at me! He kept hurting me! And then... then we connected and it... he... he hurts, Master. He was hurt and scared, and it was so dark and cold, and he was alone! He was all alone and I promised him he’d never be! Then he saved me, and I promised him I'd find him! I promised! I can’t break another one!"

"You must-"

"We barely escaped in one piece. We barely got home. And then, and then," Leo seethed, vocal cords aching as he whirled around and stalked back towards Karai, hands balled into shaking fists, "he scolded us, tried to punish us! When I shoved the truth in his face, he spun us some woe-is-me sob story about how Donnie and Raph "died" during a sewer tunnel collapse and I was injured to justify running away. And to put the crappy cherry on top, he had the guts to order me to forget about them! Forget about my brothers!"

"Leo-"

"It was a load of garbage, just in case you were wondering. A great way for him to keep pretending he hasn't been a selfish coward all these years."

Wood snapped somewhere overhead, but he plowed on, a helpless buoy in the torrent pulling him along.

"I was never hurt, Donnie and Raph never died, and he has never cared about any of us! He probably just left them behind back then to save his sorry hide from the purge and now he's going to sacrifice them again! Well, I'm not! I won't! So what if it was stupid to leave without a plan?! So what if I'm in over my head?! I can't leave them in the dark Master! I can't, I can't! I-"

"LEONARDO, BREATHE!"

Karai's hands landed on his chest with the strength of a mallet striking a gong, staggering him. Something familiar; warm, and strong, stemmed the flash flood in his mind, loosening the bands that held his lungs from fully expanding. Instinctively he did as he was told, sucking in a deep gulp of air.

"No, don't gasp. Meditative breathing. Breathe in for four, hold for six, and out for eight. Let your thoughts follow each breath, let them settle like sand in still water. Like this."

He did his best to follow her example, his heart slowly stepping down from its punishing gallop as her hands held him steady.

"Very good," she murmured, one hand sliding up to press solidly against his pulse point. "Very good Leonardo."

"Please, Master...I can't..."

"No one here is asking you to."

The assurance nearly took him out at the knees, pitching him further forward into her grasp.

"What I am going to ask is a series of questions, and I need you to answer them honestly. Is that something you feel up to?"

"Yes, Master."

"Alright. The first question is, can you still feel Donatello?"

"No," Leo shook his head, "we only connected for a minute last time, and nothing since."

"Okay. During your travels, have you or Michelangelo encountered any other individuals in black armor? Even at a distance, or in passing?"

"No Master."

Her hands relaxed a little as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Very good. Now, the most important question. When was the last time you slept? And I mean, I truly slept, a full eight hours with no interruptions?"

He tried to look away, but her hand stopped him, firm pressure against his jaw turning him back to face her.

"Honesty, Leonardo. Please. How long?"

"I don't know...before we left home?"

"Oh, Blue."

"I tried! I swear I did, but I couldn't stop thinking. I couldn't close my eyes, because he's there, begging me to help them."

"It's no wonder... come."

Her tone permitted no argument, nor did her grip as it shifted once more to his arm. All Leo could do was put one foot in front of the other as Master Karai towed him away from the garden and back towards the warm, welcoming light of her home. Lights that steadily turned fuzzy around the edges, blending into messy, hazy halos as the adrenaline in his veins slowly dwindled, replaced by all too familiar numbness. He blinked, and suddenly they were inside, a familiar green blur bouncing towards them.

"Hey! Where'd you guys go? Is he okay?!"

"Ah, you've laid out the cushions. Wonderful job Michelangelo. Would you mind dashing out to the well and bringing in the dishes for me?"

"But Leo-"

"He'll be alright," Karai assured, fingers prodding him to lift his arms enough for her to slide off his jacket. "All he needs is proper rest. I'll take care of him; you see to those dishes for me."

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you."

Leo watched blankly as Mikey trotted to the door. His baby brother hesitated, hand on the latch as he turned to look back at Leo with questioning eyes. It took a long moment to remember how to answer, to signal the muscles in his neck to move his head up and down in a wooden nod.

It probably wasn't the most convincing performance he'd ever given, but it seemed to give Mikey the confidence he needed to push open the door and slip out into the night.

"Come here, Blue."

He let Karai pull him to the hearth, half a grumble, half a whine stuck in his throat as he was pushed down onto something soft.

"It's not gonna help," he mumbled, allowing his heavy body to follow the call of gravity. "Stupid insomnia brain says no."

"And I say yes," Karai replied patiently, wedging a pillow underneath his head before pulling a heavily mended blanket up around his shoulders.

"But Dee… and Raphie..."

"We'll help them, I promise. But they'd want you to take care of yourself along the way. For now, try to relax."

Her hand swept over his face, cutting off his half-heartedly grumbled response before settling over his eyes. The same power that had helped him earlier returned, far warmer than any flame as it wrapped around his mind like a weighted blanket. His thoughts unraveled under its touch, dreams dissolving like fog under the radiance of the sun.

"Sleep."

_______________________

"One set of dishes, acquired!" Mikey called as he approached the door, barely restraining the urge to indulge in a few flips of joy.

Then again, why should he contain his razzmatazz? They'd done it, after all, he and Leo. They'd found Karai, a real Jedi master! Someone willing to teach them how to be a Jedi too! It was like his birthday and every other holiday all at once. Like finding out wishing stars were real and miracles bloomed like wildflowers! Surely that deserved at least a little celebration, right?

He had to bite his lip to stop the full strength of his smile from splitting his cheeks, giggling quietly as he indulged himself with a simple aerial, pushing the door open with his foot. Was it possible for life to be better than this?

"Where do these-"

"Quietly, please Michelangelo," Karai replied, her voice hushed. "You can just leave them on the table for now. I'll put them away later."

"You sure? I can totally...Whoa!"

"Shhhhhh," Karai shushed, one finger raising to her lips as Mikey's mouth fell open in shock.

Karai knelt between the cushions he'd placed at the hearth, outer robes discarded in a puddle off to one side. On her other side was Leo, his insomniac brother, fast asleep. No dreams twitched behind his eyes or pulled half intelligible mumbles past his lips. In fact, his big brother’s face was blank, downright peaceful.

Who needed wishes and miracles? They had Master Karai!

"How did you do that, teach me right now." Mikey demanded, dropping his voice to a matching whisper as he ditched the plates on the table.

"Just a simple suggestion," Karai chuckled, her thumb gently feathering across Leo's temple when he shifted to lay more fully on his side. "I’m merely helping his mind reach a state where it can enter and stay asleep naturally. However, the effectiveness of this skill is based on the mental fortitude of the person in question. Stronger minds are harder to sway, and thus it is not a technique you should become overly reliant on."

"Oh, I know that one! It’s called Jedi mind trick! Master Kenobi talked about using it!"

"I see you've been studying the holocron," Karai noted, eye crinkling at the corners as she beckoned him over to the empty cushion.

"You bet!" Mikey affirmed, flopping down and then rolling over to lie on his stomach and look up at her. "Leo started me on Master Fisto for basics, but I like Masters Kenobi, Skywalker, and Windu. I didn’t like Master Mundi as much; he was cold. I tried Master Yoda, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was saying."

"Many of us struggled to understand him if it's any consolation," Karai nodded, grey eyes staring into space as Mikey got comfortable. "Grand Master Yoda enjoyed his riddles, almost as much as he enjoyed watching people scramble their brains trying to work them out. But they always had a purpose in the end, a lesson, even if it wasn't apparent. You just had to trust and keep your mind open."

"Just like how we found you," Mikey beamed, words split by a huge yawn.

"Much like that," Karai agreed, her free hand moving to carefully pull off Mikey's mask. She set the orange fabric by his pillow before reaching over and pulling up his blanket. "The most important thing you must always remember Michelangelo, is that the Force is in all things, and all things are directed by its will. This is the core principle of the Jedi code, and so long as we have it, none of us are ever lost."

"I won't forget, I promise," Mikey promised, jaw cracking on another yawn as he snuggled deeper into his bedding.

"Good. Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow, we will start your training."

[colibrie]

Confrontations: Collateral, Raphael

Suprise! This is one of the Whumptober prompts I managed to fill (which was panic), so Inquisitor lovers rejoice! Thanks as always to the lovely @trilobitepunch for being the absolute best, as always.

The walls of the chamber were shrinking. Which, some dim part of him knew, wasn't physically possible. The dozens of gouged slashes he'd left in the durasteel were more than a testimant to how unflinchingly sturdy and impenetrable they were. And yet, somehow, the walls were shrinking all the same. Pushing down down down, forcing his lungs to heave for air, squashing the capacity to think beneath an ocean of emotion and instinct all shrieking no, no, no!

The tides of panic begged him to scream. Whirlpools of rage demanded that he roar and bite. Maim and rend like an animal to ensure he could never be caged again. To feel the glorious freedom and the spray of hot iron, just like...

Sour bile crawled up his throat as he snarled, his arms coming up to cover his head as though they could hide him from the thoughts that lurked in the current of fear. He couldn't give in. No matter how bad the world spun or his heart tried to rip free from his chest, he had to fight to stay present and sane.

"Its for Donnie," Raph murmured, the well worn mantra following him down as he curled into the smallest ball his armor would allow. "It's for Donnie. It's for Donnie. You got this. You can do this for him. You can to do it for him...."

The walls of the isolation chamber swallowed his words, sealing them away with a million silenced whimpers and cries as a bit more of his sanity crumbled into the rising abyss.

[colibrie]

Uncharted Territory, Part 2

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in updates. As always art credit and eternal gratitude to @trilobitepunch for her amazing art and her incredible patience.

Yakai system: 6 hours later

Mikey liked to think of himself as a turtle with many talents. With so many interesting things to do and experience in the universe, he’d never seen the point in limiting himself to just one hobby. He was a chef, an artist, and an acrobat. He was a jedi in training. He knew the importance of timing and strength. He had worked hard to cultivate balance, and perhaps most essentially, patience. Patience was the difference between a masterpiece and a disappointment. Patience was the difference between peace and agitation. Patience was the foundation of all things…

But his patience was three seconds away from socking Leonardo in the face.

“There’s a rock…and another rock…and, oh look, there’s even more rocks!”

“Thank you, Leo.”

“What? I’m just admiring the fascinating scenery,” Leo’s obnoxiously sour-sweet tone matched the sarcastic show of teeth in the smile he flashed. “You take me to the nicest places Angelo.”

Mikey pulled in a slow and subtle breath, fighting the urge to clench his jaw or bite his lip as he carefully maneuvered their ship around a small asteroid at the edge of a medium sized cluster. He knew what his elder brother was doing. He’d been doing it since he’d woken up crabby from his far too short nap, mood souring further when Mikey had refused to move from the pilot seat. He was trying to get under Mikey’s shell to provoke a reaction. Which really wasn't that unusual. There wasn’t a creature alive who could out petty Leo when he was in the mood to be difficult. The taller turtle seemed to have a sixth sense for spite, an innate talent that zeroed in on the most obnoxious and annoying elements of a situation then dialing them eleven.

It didn’t help that the environment beyond the view screen was the definition of desolation. The Yakai system was indeed comprised of a massive asteroid field, large chunks of dull grey rock stretched in all directions, dust and debris hanging limply in the space between. Two small planets sat lifelessly in the center of it all, surfaces dyed the by gas clouds of the sickliest yellow, green and cream. They were hues he would have immediately rejected from his palette, their image as appalling as they were disheartening. To top it off, the absence of wakes or other disturbances in the area suggested that no one had transversed the asteroid field in a long time.

Mikey was loath to admit it, but the hope that had burned so brightly inside him after their success with the holocron was slowly shrinking. The connection to that bonfire at his core was dwindling, heat leeched away by the seemingly ever-growing black hole of unanswered questions and unaddressed baggage trailing them. The violent introduction to his “deceased” brothers, the unsettled conflict between Leo and their father, the unusually vague details of their plan, and the anxious insecurity of meeting someone who had played such a pivotal role in their childhoods, but who’s image he could not call to mind, no matter how far back he dug in his memories. It was all starting to feel…heavy.

“Hate to say it baby bro, but it looks like this was a waste of-”

“We haven’t even checked half of the cluster!” Mikey snapped, cringing slightly as Leo locked onto the irritation in his voice.

“Running down every speck of dust isn’t going to make someone not here magically appear,” Leo argued, flashing an edged smirk that made Mikey want to kick him in the teeth.

He forced himself to relax, to soften his next words into something closer to a gentle tease. “Don’t count your smooka’s before they hatch Leo. I’d hate to have to embarrass you in it in front of Master Karai.”

George let out a happy chur from his place wrapped around Mikey’s neck, little head rubbing encouragingly against Mikey’s cheek.

“See? George thinks so too!”

“I don’t care what George thinks! George is a dumb animal who will do anything for a treat!” Leo snapped suddenly, the mood in the cabin plunging as an oppressive weight settled over it. Something alien was churning behind his brother’s irises as he struck them with a glare, something that made every nerve in Mikey’s body jolt. George cringed back, tail tightening as he chittered fearfully and under Mikey's chin for safety.

“Hey!” Mikey bristled, one hand coming up to protectively cover his friend as he returned Leo’s glare with one of his own. “You know who else doesn’t get a vote, the annoying raincloud who has contributed literally NOTHING to finding a solution to our problems! At least, I am trying! At least I am doing something other than whining “that’s not how it works!” repeatedly! And George didn’t do anything to you, so quit being a jerk!”

The tension grew as they stared each other down, metaphorical hackles rising as the siblings sized one another up. Mikey kept his face frozen in a stern scowl, pushing down the sympathetic twinge in his chest at how bloodshot his older brothers’ eyes were, how hollow they’d grown, lined with dark bags that were beginning to look like bruises. He wasn’t stupid, or blind. He knew how active his elder brother’s demons had been since leaving home, how the weight of their situation pressed down on Leonardo.

He’d wished a thousand times he knew how to help, but he didn’t. Usually, he could guess what the issue was, or prod the answers out of Leo after giving him some space and time. But those tactics weren’t working now. Up until recently, he'd known little to nothing about the missing half of his family. He still didn't know much about them, and Leo had remained frustratingly tight lipped, even though the past was clearly eating him alive.

The seeds of doubt were quick to bloom as the dark energy pressed in, a weed that threatened to choke off his inner fire as thoughts he’d pushed away for hours returned with a vengeance.

What if they didn't find anything? What if Master Karai wasn't here? What if he really was wasting their time and resources? What if he was wrong? what if....

What if he was just making things worse?

A soft coo broke the tension as George butted his head into Mikey’s throat, tiny body thrumming soothingly against his suddenly unsteady pulse. The gossamer soft sensation of unwavering trust and love poked at the edges of the bonfire inside of him, coaxing it to burn brighter in defiance against the darkness. It gave him the strength to push the doubts away again, to take another deep breath and focus only on the now.

Leo wanted a fight, but Mikey was not obliged to give him one. Maybe he couldn’t take away whatever was hurting his brother, but he could help keep things level until Leo was ready to share it. He pulled in two more breaths for good measure before speaking, careful to keep his tone calm but firm.

“I get that this has been stressful. I get that you are tired, and you don’t really want to be here. But that doesn’t give you carte blanche to be an ass. Especially to someone who can’t fight back. You’re better than that Leon.”

He kept face blank as that thing behind Leo’s eyes slowly faded away, the pressure lifting to be replaced by the lighter and more familiar signs of guilt. He kept himself still as Leo cringed and turned away to look out the viewscreen.

“…Yeah…I’m…”

A strident chime from the radar cut him off. The strain of their argument was swiftly shelved as they both leaned forward, foreheads nearly colliding in their haste to huddled in and study the steadily pulsing blip on the screen.

“There’s something over there! It’s in between those two big meteors!” Mikey exclaimed, pointing vigorously towards a cluster of oblong rocks off to the left of their view screen. “It has to be her, there’s a life support system attached to it!”

“Barely,” Leo huffed, squinting doubtfully at the readouts scrolling across the adjacent screen. “For an energy reading that low, life-support would have to be set to the bare minimum. Not great atmosphere for long time occupation.”

“But it could totally…” Mikey blinked, then groaned as Leo flashed him a tentative smile. “Omigosh, Lee that one was awful.”

“I think you mean awesome Miguel,” Leo shrugged, propping his chin on one fist as Mikey tried and failed to hide a snort. “I know, I know, my humor is a breath of fresh air. You’re welcome.”

“You are…so dumb…” Mikey spluttered in reply, any residual hard feelings clinging on from their spat offset by his own smile. Shell, Leo made it hard to stay mad at him.

“Thank you, thank you,” Leo said, sketching a half bow before blowing kisses to an imaginary audience. “I am here all week. And the week after that, and the week after-ack!”

“Nobody cares!” Mikey cheered as he pushed one hand into Leo’s face, laughing as his big brothers’ arms flailed in a comedic bid to maintain his balance. “Not when they can watch me, the daredevil Michelangelo, seamlessly thread the gauntlet of insane asteroids to investigate that signal!”

“Oooooh okay. Feeling bold today, are we? That looks kinda tricky,” Leo noted, casually leaning over to brace one forearm on the pilot’s chair.

“Absolutely! I’ve got this!”

“Alright big man,” Leo nodded slowly, gently tapping his knuckles against Mikey’s shoulder in a gesture that was both equal support and silent apology before sitting back. “Give it a shot. I am here if you need me.”

“I won’t,” Mikey replied, bouncing a little in his seat as he turned the shuttle towards their target. “Hold on to your shell!”

The engines roared under his touch, rocketing them towards the targeted cluster at heart pounding speed.

“COWABUNGA!”

“WHOAHOHO!” Leo yelled, gripping his seat with white knuckle strength as Mikey banked hard to avoid a chunk of debris.

Adrenaline fizzed in his veins, delight bubbling in his lungs as his heart started to dance in time to the thrum of the thrusters. This. This was the part of flying that Mikey actually liked. No fiddly procedures to remember, no gravity to pull or push him in ways he didn’t want to go. Space was like the ultimate acrobatics’ playground, open and empty and waiting to be filled with his amazing razzmatazz. Weaving and banking around corners, dipping down and rising up to avoid obstacles, even a spin or two thrown in for sheer flare, it all felt natural. It was fun!

Watching Leo slowly turn the same color as his arms stripes wasn’t bad either.

The radar pinged louder, and he eased the shuttle back into a steady cruising pace as Leo sat forward, sharp eyes scanning the surrounding asteroids in search of their target. Small stones tinged gently off the view screen as they drifted past, the only sound within the cockpit the increasingly strident bee-blip of the radar.

“There!”

Mikey’s head whipped around, eyes following Leo’s outstretched arm to their prize. Tucked into the shadows of a deep, craggy canyon was the faint outline of a structure surrounded by six smaller lumps.

“There’s a possible landing area on that ledge above the target, but there’s not a whole lot of room for error. Probably why the smugglers-”

“-or Master Karai-"

“-smugglers, chose this spot for their hideout. We’ll have to be careful with how we approach landing. Move over.”

“Nope, I’ve got it,” Mikey, pointing the shuttle nose towards their goal before pressing the controls down.

“Wait!”

He ignored his brothers’ objections as the shuttle responded to his command, nose dipping down sharply to aim towards the ledge. He did not need to be told what to do. He did not need to have his hand held. He could land the ship. Sweat gathered on his palms as the empty vacuum of space swiftly disappeared behind the craggy lips of the canyon walls.

“That’s a really steep approach, maybe pull it back a bit buddy….”

The engines whined as the ship sped onwards, outboard lights throwing jagged spires previously hidden by the gloom in into sharp relief. Sharp pricks of pain burst like fireworks as he dug his teeth into his lower lip, spine curving as he blocked Leo out and threw every shred of concentration into running the maze in front of him. He could do this. He could get them to the target. He could land the ship…

“Mikey, seriously…”

He could find Master Karai. He could become a Jedi. He could get his brothers back. He could …

“Michelangelo that’s way too steep! Pull up!”

The camp was in sight, the ground was growing, but somehow the ledge was shrinking. More rocks bounced off the viewscreen as the walls of the canyon closed in on all sides. Something cold and hard lodged in his throat as his hands slipped, skittering over the buttons as alarms started to shriek. His spine locked, limbs freezing as fear obliterated his thoughts with spikes of jagged grey.

He…He couldn’t…

“PULL UP!”

Blue burst through the grey as something slammed into his shoulder, forcing him halfway out of the pilot seat as iron hands clamped down on the controls. He gasped in shock, then scrambled to grab whatever he could as Leo hauled back hard on the yoke. The world spun as the shuttle jerked, banking into a tight vertical spiral as something hard screeched across the belly of the ship. Metal groaned and shuddered under the sudden strain as his big brothers’ hands danced lightning fast across the consul, shooting them back up into the void above.

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Leo whooped, slumping back in relief once they were hovering a safe distance away from any debitage. “Now that was a rush!”

Michelangelo stayed on the floor, chest heaving and body shaking as he stared at the ceiling. Everything felt surreal, like he was only connected to his body by a heart that felt like it was trying to jump into hyperdrive. His lungs felt shriveled, unable to take a full breath. When had it gotten so cold? Was the air truly that thin? Had he compromised the hull in his stupid stunt? Were they in danger of collapse?

“You going to stay down there all…Angelo?”

His eyes stung as they filled with salt, and no amount of blinking managed to clear them. He had messed up. He’d dragged them out here and nearly gotten them killed and…

"Hey, c’mon bro, don’t make that face," Leo cajoled, gentle hands lifting Mikey up to stand on somewhat wobbly legs. Bright green fingers softly grabbed the lip of Mikey's plastron before giving him a gently encouraging shake. "So, you almost spectacularly whiffed a landing that could have majorly damaged the shuttle or injured us, leaving us stranded in a force forsaken asteroid field in the middle of nowhere..."

"Oh wow, thanks Lee. I feel so much better, " Mikey mumbled thickly, shooting a halfhearted glare that turned into a fully affronted scowl when Leo responded by flicking him between the eyes.

"As I was about to say, so what if it almost happened? It didn't, and it won't, because I'm here."

Leo was smiling at him when Mikey chanced another glance up, a smile that oozed confidence and compassion as he slung a sheltering arm around Mikey's shoulders.

“We’re okay Angelo."

"I really thought I had it this time. I thought I could…I just wanted to help…Why is it so hard?!" Mikey groaned, leaning into the comfort as Leonardo pulled him into his chest. Leo's heartbeat was strong and steady under his tympanum, its slightly elevated rhythm methodically walking Mikey's own heart back from its attempts to escape his rib cage.

"Can't be good at everything big man," Leo consoled, planting a gentle kiss on his baby brother’s forehead. "And you help in so many ways! Believe me, I could not do this without you Mikey. You’ll figure out flying eventually, I have no doubt. In the meantime, maybe listen to your talented, brilliant, and handsome big brother, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah," Mikey sighed, leaning back. "Thanks for letting me try Leon."

"Any time. Now, I’ve gotta to run some checks and land us, but why don't you go get the oxygen masks out and prep them to go for a spin."

"Will we need them? Life support still reads as active," Mikey asked as he absently shook the remaining adrenaline from his limbs.

"Trust but verify Michelito. This face is far too pretty to trust to some jury-rigged smuggler set up," Leo replied, breezily tossing his mask tails over his shoulder with a wink.

"Please, it would be an improvement!"

"Rude! Jealousy is not a great color on you Mikey!"

"We'll let Master Karai be the judge of that once we find her!" Mikey shot back, smiling slightly as he made his way to the back of the ship.

He had to stretch to his tiptoes to open the cabinet and retrieve the masks Splinter had jury-rigged for them ages ago. “For emergencies” their father had said, voice as worn as his robes when he'd held their little squirmy bodies still to adjust and ensure the blue and orange straps fit. Though the thick coating of dust on both masks attested to how little use they’d received, colored elastics faded and muted with age, the sight of these little tokens of their fathers’ love was like being wrapped up in one of his warm hugs.

“She’ll side with me.”

“Keep dreaming kiddo.”

Their banter was as familiar and comfortable, jokes and sly digs baniahing the shadows of tension and doubt with bright laughter as Leo carefully brought them back into the confines of the canyon for a smooth landing on the ledge.

“Alright, here is the plan,” Leo called, swinging out of the pilots chair and moving back to the back with an easy swagger in his step. “We are going to pop out, give the place a quick once over in full stealth style. We don’t find anything, or if we find anyone who isn’t Master Karai we book it back here, get the shell out, and try somewhere else. Capiche?”

“Capiche,” Mikey agreed, bending his head to allow Leo to check that his mask was secure before handing his brother his own and returning the favor.

“Alright, then lets jet!” Leo proclaimed, hitting the button to open the back hatch.

The air within the life support bubble was cold enough to send gooseflesh erupting over Mikey's arms and shivers down his shell. The buildings were equally cold and dark, filled with the stale sensation of a place long abandoned. Cabinets doors hung open on broken hinges, while much of the rickety furniture had either been smashed or collapsed on itself.

“Dang,” Leo whistled, flicking on a flashlight to banish the shadows clinging to the interior, “whoever was here last must have left in a hurry. And they definitely haven’t been back to clean up.”

“Maybe she’s been using one of the other buildings? You know, to stay inconspicuous?” Mikey offered, heart sinking as he accidentally kicked a piece of broken chair.

“We can check,” Leo indulged.

None of the outbuildings turned up better results beyond broken crates, and Mikey could do nothing but drag his heavy, bruised heart back to the ship.

“Come on,” Leo ordered, voice oddly gentle as he sealed the back hatch and helped Mikey out of his mask, “let’s get out of here. There are other places we can check.”

"I just...I don't understand," Mikey mumbled, staring hard at the ground as Leo moved to the front to bring their shuttle back online. "Why would the force send us on a wild goose chase? What was the point?!"

"It's like I said man," Leo shrugged as the engines whined to life, "it's just not how the force works."

"Except in this case," a soft voice said from behind them.

The two of them shrieked and jumped, limbs flailing as they spun around to face the invader. A figure stood at the back of the shuttle; body covered by a drab gray cloak with a deep hood that hid their face from view. An extra breathing mask sat innocently on one of the benches, along with two pistol sized blasters.

"Who the shell are you?!" Leo barked, fingers fluttering anxiously as they groped along the consul for something to use as a weapon. "A smuggler?!"

"Of sorts, I suppose," the figure replied calmly.

"We don't want any trouble, but believe me, we can bring the pain if you cross us!" Mikey blustered, waving his fists.

"Says the boy who once cried at the idea that someone might not want to be his friend."

"I...huh?"

"I wasn't sure, when I first started having the visions," the figure continued, moving further into the cabin. "It seemed impossible after all this time. And the results were clouded, without direction. To many possibilities. But two motifs were repeated over and over. Sun and lightning. Blue and orange. And then, just a few hours ago, the visions became clear. This place, the Yakai system. I had to take the chance. I had to…"

"What are you talking about?! Who are you?!" Leo spluttered.

Mikey blinked, arms slowly dropping. "Wait... are you..."

"I was afraid I wouldn’t make it in time… and you've both grown so much, I hardly recognized you at first. But I could never forget my boys."

The figure reached up, pushing back their hood. Stands of black and grey hair framed dark eyes and a pale face marked by fine lines of stress and age. A slim but fit figure lay beneath the cloak’s heavy edges, dressed in a worn green tunic, pants, and weathered leather boots. Empty holsters sat on either hip.

"Do you still like to paint Michelangelo?"

"OMIGOSH! YOU… YOU'RE MASTER KARAI!" Mikey shrieked, reserve giving way as he began jumping up and down. He threw himself forward, crossing the distance to wrap her in the tightest hug he could muster. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU'D BE HERE!"

Karai laughed softly as he lifted her off her feet. Her small hands patted the sides of his shell, doing their best to hold him back even with her arms pinned to her sides.

"I KNEW THE FORCE WOULD HELP US!" he shouted again, plopping Karai down before whirling around in triumph.

"WE DID IT LEO!... Leo?"

Leo did not look at him or show any indication that he'd heard Mikey at all. His gaze was riveted on Karai, blatant shock mixing with so many other emotions in an expression that was almost painful to behold.

"Lee?"

Leo's throat worked furiously, mouth opening and closing fruitlessly as words seemed to fail him. Finally, one word managed to work its way free. Small and faint, a short word nearly crushed by the weight of all it carried.

"M...Master?"

"Leonardo," Karai murmured, squeezing Mikey's shoulder before stepping forward to stand before his brother. Her hands rose to cup his cheeks, thumbs softly tracing the lower arc of his red crescent markings as she quietly studied his face.

"You've grown so tall, my little blue. You've survived, and I am so, so proud of you."

Mikey blinked hard against the threat of tears as Leo sniffed and melted into Karai's arms. Despite being the same height as the woman, his older brother seemed to shrink until his head fit neatly beneath her chin, face hidden in her shoulder as his hands came up to desperately clutch at the back of her cloak.

"I have so many questions," Karai murmured thickly, gently rocking on her feet as she cradled Leo close with one arm while reaching out to Mikey with the other. "But first, let me hold my brave boys."

[colibrie]

Confrontations: Ricochet, Donatello.

Art and sanity credit to @trilobitepunch.

He distantly felt his body jerk into a weak salute before his mechanical limbs turned, carrying hm away from his most recent failure. The walls of the base caved in as he moved, Raph’s calls of “Donatello!” barely registering over the incomprehensible muddle of thoughts and adrenaline. Some barely functioning portion of his hindbrain guided him to the correct door, shaky fingers pawing at the embedded scanners.

“Don, wait!”

The door slammed shut, sealing him into the blessedly familiar darkness of his bedroom.

“Donnie?”

His helmet sailed across the room, striking the far wall with a sharp crack as he crumpled to the ground. A faint whine slipped through his teeth as he dragged his numb legs into his chest, arm wrapping around them in a hug as he frantically began to rock back a fourth.

Heknowsheknowsheknowsheknowsheknows…

Bloodless fingers dug into the edges of his armor, throat now strangling his vocal cords as he tucked his head into the protective circle of his arms. Time crawled, broken only by his hiccupped breathing and the occasional knock of his battle shell against the wall as he rocked.

He knows.

Interesting.

Breathebreathewhycan'tIbreathe?

It's going to be okay, DonDon, don't listen to them. Do you wanna squeeze my hand?

YesIdoIneedyouIcan'tdothisyoupromised...

Something cool and solid carefully bumped against his shoulder, bits of binary breaking through the shrieking reel of his mind. Donnie sniffed, reluctantly lifting his head until his eyes could just bare peer at his visitor. Silvery fins waggled at him in greeting as a large lens swept Donnie from head to toe. The miniature droid beeped softly once more, and when Donnie failed to respond beyond a faint flinch, it drifted closer to gently nudge his shoulder. One fin gently brushed against his knuckles, accompanied by binary based command to relax. It didn’t flinch or retreat when Donnie’s fingers tightened reflexively. It simply continued to drop light taps on his knuckles until Donnie finally gave in and acquiesced, winching as blood rushed back into the tips of his fingers.      

Wiggling with joy, the drone zipped forward to wedge itself into the minuscule space between Donnie’s legs and chest, gently pushing and pressing, soft beeps and clicks asking him to lower them.

“F-f-fi”

A stronger beep cut him off as small struts unfolded from the droid’s undercarriage, delicate pincers grasping onto his chest plate as it forced Donnie’s legs a smidgen further from his chest.

It took far longer than it should have to fold his legs down into a crossed position. His joints were stiff, and somewhere in the haze of his panic a deep, familiar ache had begun to simmer beneath his shell. The presence of that pain, the way it swept up and down his spine like a molten tide, would have sent him spiraling once more if not for the droid in his arms. A port in his armor popped open, and the hiss of a hypos-syringe filled the room before he could fully register what was happening.

“Hy!” he choked; voice garbled as his teeth ground together.

An unrepentant chur was all he got in response as the droid settled back into his chest, motor shifting until a soft purr rumbled forth, one deep enough that it was more felt than heard. It gently pulsed through Donnie’s chest, soothingly repetitive as the muscle relaxers from the hypo quickly went to work. The fire in his back cooled, banked by the drugs that allowed his legs to finally drop into a loosely crossed position. The tension in his throat loosened too, letting air pass freely in to and out of his starving lungs.

Donnie sighed as he tipped his head back, eyes falling shut as he clumsily tried to follow meditation breathing that had been drilled into him at the temple. His droid trilled softly, giving him more space by floating down the settle on his now crossed legs. For a while all was quiet once more, save for sonorous breaths and the low hum of an idling motor.

“5HL-DN.”

The little droid perked up, ignoring the gravely strain on its name in favor of nuzzling into the hand suddenly resting on its carapace.

“How long was it this time?”

A longer stream of bleeps and clicks answered, partially jolting Donnie out of his daze.

“What do you mean, ‘access denied’?! That data is not password protected!”

More bleeps and blips flooded the air as 5HL-DN and Donnie glared at one another.

“5HL-DN, you give me that data right now or I-”

“Beeeeeoooooop!”

“…That bad?”

“Brrrriiiip.”

“I…I acknowledge that it has been a while since I have experienced one of this magnitude. It has been a…difficult day. All the more reason to look at the data.”

“Brrrrrrrrrrrrr-up!”

“What kind of a trade are you proposing?”

5HL-DN’s antenna wiggled as the following binary made Donnie’s mouth drop open.

“Wha- twelve hours?! Unacceptable!”

“Beep!”

“I will consider resting for four.”

“Weeooo-uuuuriiiii.”

“You will do no such thing! The materials for those experiments are not easily acquired!”

“Reeeeeeeeeeeoooorrrrrrrri!”

“Fine! Fine, I will sleep for six! Satisfactory?”

“Skrrrriiiiiiiiiiiii?”

“Oh my…yes. Yes, if it will keep you out of my research, I will take off the battle shell.”

Donnie tried to maintain his scowl but could not stop the hint of smile that bloomed as his droid wobbled, whooping in triumph as it shot up and zipped towards Donnie’s bed.

“I don’t recall installing blackmail software,” He grumbled, slowly levering himself up. His legs trembled, but held, allowing him to limp after the droid and sit on the edge of his bed. A sneaky retaliatory pinch was all he got in reply.

“As agreed, I will rest for six consecutive hours. However, if Raph comes or if Krang summons us, you need to wake me. Understood? Either scenario would be too important for me to risk sleeping through.”

5HL-DN bobbed, pincers pulling back the blankets as Donnie slowly removed his armor, placing it in neatly accessible piles on his bedside table, until only the battle shell remained. His fingers hovered over the latches, hesitating as sour discomfort stirred in his stomach. As cumbersome as his battle shell was at times, the freedom and security it brought made it a difficult thing to part with for any reason. Perhaps…perhaps he could simply…

A low warning whistle shut that train of thought down.

“Yes, alright. I am a turtle of my word, calm yourself.”

A series of subtle clicks later and the battle shell popped free, falling to the mattress with a soft thump. A moan of equal parts pain and relief snuck past his lips as Donnie rolled his shoulders, one hand slipping down to tentatively rub at the edge of scar tissue that ran in a jagged slash across the base of his shell.

Beeps that sounded somehow smug yet concerned tinkled through the air just before one of 5HL-DN’s struts flicked the side of his head.

“Stop that,” he huffed tiredly, scooting back a smidge before dragging his legs under the blankets held by his unrepentant friend. Heavily weighted warmth, one of the few secret splurges he’d ever claimed for himself ensconced him, working with the relaxants to turn his tense muscles into jelly.

“Member t’wake me,” he mumbled, nuzzling into his pillow as lead weights dragged his eyelids down. “An don…don’t touch th…s’sensitive…”

Soft coo’s followed him down to sleep as 5HL-DN settled into the junction of Donnie’s shell and neck, motor gently vibrating as it began its watch.