#they'll be fine everything's hunky dory

[truths33k3r4]

CHAPTER 27 - Specter

“ How long does it take for a security cam’s battery to die? “ Raph whispered to his brother as if the camera itself was trying to listen in on their conversation. 

Maybe it was.

“ Six months give or take. Therefore the camera shouldn’t be our focus right now. “ Don whispered back, motioning his head to the box of tools on the bench. He tried to move his feet, gauging how far he would need to stretch in order to reach the tools. Unfortunately the metallic ring of chains sounded harshly in his ears, as his movements were halted by their iron grip on his ankles. 

Ok.. that won’t work.

As Don ran simulations in his brain like a living calculator, Raph was attempting to escape with his own plan: PULL. REALLY. HARD. Don felt his brother’s shell twist and yank accompanied by the sounds of the chains being pulled taut. Raph let out a frustrated growl as his efforts proved to be in vain; No matter how much he yanked or tensed, the metal cuffs remained cemented to his wrists. 

Ok, cross brute force off the list.

Don tried to search for more options.

 Perhaps there’s a stray nail or screw on the floor. I could try picking my cuffs’ lock..

 He winced his eyes forcing his sight to clear as much as it could, peering down to the cold ground below. He targeted his gaze on anything that reflected light. Normally most screws and nails are made of galvanized steel, which is somewhat of a reflective metal. Therefore the thin rays of light peeking through the windows of their cell would cause those particular metals to faintly glow. Unfortunately, after a minute or so of staring at the pixelated ground, and not seeing any reflections of steel, Don gave up on that plan. 

Raph continued to struggle despite the obvious. His fists clenched tighter and tighter as he continued to pull. His shoulders rose with each tug and yank. His movements began as concentrated and calculated, but now they were unpredictable and panicked.

Don leaned back and rested the back of his head on his brother’s.

“ Ochitsuke, Raph. “ he whispered.

The horrible taunts of the ringing chains finally ceased as Raph nodded and dropped his arms to his sides.

“.. Don, I don’t.. I don’t know what to do.. How the shell are we going to get out of here? “ 

Don hated how his older brother’s voice teetered with insecurity. It didn’t help that he, too, was at a loss for words.. And PLANS apparently.

“ It’s fine.. As long as we are alive our brains can function. And as long as our brains can function, then we’ll think of a solution. “

Please believe me.

Don could feel his brother’s soft nod to his words as Raph let out a stress-filled sigh. 

You’re the smart one. Think, Interi. THINK.

If Don could, he would be slamming his forehead into his palm, trying to force ideas into his less-than-efficient-under-stress brain. When given time to think things through, he would normally have an answer to a difficult problem rather quickly. But when stress and a time crunch are involved, his brain betrays him, leaving him scrambling to remember the simplest of knowledge. It was pathetic.

Don and Raph both yanked their heads up harshly at the sound of a door opening nearby. Thankfully, without Don’s vision being at full capacity, his hearing sensitivity heightened to make up for it. 

Yay. I can at least HEAR the psycho who’s gonna kill me.

Now he could hear the haunting sound of those same heavy-duty boots coming closer and closer.

Don turned his face to Raph and whispered, “ NOT. A. WORD. “

A broad- shouldered man with rounded glasses and a tar-like coat entered quietly into Don and Raph’s cell carrying a briefcase. The light of the hallway behind him created a distorted silhouette bordering his form, making Don wince from the brightness. Both his and his brother’s body straightened like warriors preparing for battle. 

The Man politely closed the door, closely followed by a subtle click of the lock behind him as he walked up to his captives. With the light of the hallway now closed off, shadows consumed the Man’s form as he strolled closer to the brothers. The slim rays weaseling through the windows reflected in his glasses, masking the Man’s eyes in a bright white. He pulled out a small stool hidden behind the bench, and calmly sat down, placing his briefcase at his side.

“ You must have many questions as to why my team apprehended you. After all, normally in this fair city, the street scraps are left to fend for themselves. Picked off.. one by one.. by the many gangs wandering the alleys. “ 

The Man began caressing his briefcase with long, bony fingers.

“.. So, what, you may ask yourselves, makes you.. so .. special? What gives you the opportunity to be in the presence of ones with such intelligence, such as myself? “

Don and Raph gave an unamused glance to each other. Both had a whole lineup of insults to throw at this narcissist, but their mouths remained shut. 

The Man stands up with a thin growing smile and walks over to Don, covering the mutant in his towering shadow. Raph allowed a single low growl to escape his lips instead of the slew of crude nicknames piling up one by one in his head. 

“ Oh come now, I won’t harm you..

.. yet. “

In one terrifyingly quick motion, the Man shot out his hand, gripping Don’s face with his skeleton-like fingers. Raph’s growl grew louder. 

Don watched in silent horror as his face was studied by his captor like an organism under a microscope, lifting his chin painfully to scan over every corner and crevice. The chill of the Man’s fingers sent an involuntary shiver down his spine, like an evil spirit had phased through his body. 

“ With such specimens as yourselves, it would be quite foolish to take you apart in a dusty garage without my.. tools. No, no, the real fun will begin once I take you to my laboratory. “

Don didn’t like the sound of that one bit. And judging by the ferocious crescendoing snarl of his brother, Raph felt the same. 

The Man let go of Don’s face and eerily shifted towards Raph. The red-clad brother replaced his snarls with a glare so concentrated it would make milk curdle.

I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

“ Oooh, “ the Man taunted, pointing at the furious mutant, “ did I make the red one angry? “

Raph targeted all the rage and intimidation he could salvage into his piercing glare. Despite his attempts, the Man continued on as if nothing happened.

“ Well, going by your pitiful attempt at intimidating me, I will assume this must be someone you care about.” The Man gestured to Don, “ Perhaps your brother based on the ridiculous matching masks? ..Am I close? “

Raph and Don kept their mouths in a thin but planted line.

“ Hmm, “ the Man shrugged, “ Alright, not very talkative. Very well. “

The Man proceeded to return to his stool retrieving his briefcase, and placing it on his lap. With a few button clicks, it opened with a slight hiss, releasing a puff of cold air.

Don ran through all possibilities in his brain of items that would need to be kept in air tight containers and under cold temperatures.

..Sedatives..

Judging by the growing smile creeping up the Man’s face, Don knew he was right. 

WE HAVE TO ACT NOW.

Now it was Don’s turn to begin pulling and yanking on his chains. He knew it wouldn’t do anything. He KNEW. But despite the logic trying to take control of his brain, his panicked heart remained in control.

The Man rose up off his stool and began walking towards Don. The purple clad turtle’s vision morphed the Man’s form into that of a faceless specter, slowly wrapping his towering shadow over the mutant’s body. The panicked sounds of pulled chains became louder, melding with the calculated footsteps drawing closer and closer.

WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!

For the second time today, a gun was held to Don’s head. 

“ This is just something to help you sleep.. Nothing more than a concentrated sedative, so no need to panic. “ The Man’s words whispered compassion, but his voice screeched with threat. 

Don’s heart began to pummel at his chest as the gun-like contraption the Man was holding was pointed at the mutant’s thigh. 

NO! 

With a pull of the trigger, Don felt a horrible sting spread throughout his leg. The needle in the device penetrated his skin almost like his epipen back at home. But unlike his medication, the solution being forced into his body was unknown. That fear alone made the sting hurt so much worse. He hated himself for allowing the man to see him flinch under the discomfort.

As for Raph..

.. The word ‘ hate ’ wouldn’t even begin to explain the fury raging through his brother’s body. Raph was now baring his fangs in all their sharp glory, as the Man pulled away the device , leaving a small dot of blood on Don’s leg. 

The freckled brother subtly began to sway, feeling whatever drugs running through his bloodstream beginning to activate. His head began to ring with a high pitched hum as it was becoming more and more difficult to keep his eyes open. 

STAY AWAKE. DON’T GO TO SLEEP. STAY AWAKE.

The Man walked up to Raph as he waved the device tauntingly at the slowly-growing-feral mutant. Raph had given him plenty of warnings. And there’s always a point with Don’s fiery brother when his patience snaps like a thin twig under the crackles of a flame. 

This is that point.

As the Man began positioning the device to Raph’s thigh, the flame consuming the mutant’s protective heart burst as he lunged his knee up, making the man’s hand jolt upward.

Right in front of Raph’s mouth.

With a harsh *SCRUNCH* Raph's fangs plunged deep into the Man’s hand that was holding the device. For once, their captor actually reacted, giving an annoyed grunt as he jolted from the pain burning his hand where Raph’s fangs remained planted. But despite the discomfort of the angry mutant’s teeth, the Man continued to stand tall, pushing aside Raph’s attack as a minor inconvenience.

“ Aww. It thinks it can escape. Well, what’s your plan then, mutant? Hold me down as your brother here goes for the keys that I don’t have? How much of a fool do you think I am? “

Despite the Man’s hand still being wedged into Raph’s teeth, the mutant began to smile menacingly.

“ Wrong answer, freak. “

Just like with Don, the man moved with quick and precise movements, trading off the device from the hand in Raph’s mouth to his other. He pulled the trigger. Raph was given more reason to bite down harder as the sharp sting penetrated his leg. 

The Man removed the device from Raph’s thigh and threw it to the side, and then reached deep into his black, robe-like coat. He pulled out what was definitely an actual gun, pointing it at Don’s head.

“ This will cause far more harm than the injector, I assure you. “ The Man’s voice didn’t waver the slightest, staying calm and to the point, as Raph’s bite continued to sink deeper. 

“ Now. Drop it, boy. Drop it like a good little dog. “

Raphael’s shoulders rose in hostility as his brain ran through the situation.

Does he WANT his hand to get bitten off??? 

With another growl, and a slight gag, Raphael released the Man’s bony fingers from his mouth. Don hazily watched as his brother proceeded to spit the Man’s own blood into his face. 

Everything was becoming so slow.. The Man’s form continued to alter and blur as Don’s vision slowly faded into darkness.

NO. NOT NOW! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!! STAY AWAKE!!

Don didn’t even realize his eyes were closed now. His body slowly slumped against his will. The ghostly voice of the Man began to echo in his brain as he fought with all his might to keep his eyes open. He could feel Raph’s body beginning to fade too..

STAY AWAKE!!!!!!!

Don continued to fight against the sedative as best he could, trying to keep his body constantly in motion. He yanked at his chains and turned his head to keep an eye on his fading brother, who was trying to do the same. But as the minutes ticked by, their movements grew more sluggish; their heads slowly lowered with their eyelids.

Stay……awakeee…

“ That’s it. Go to sleep. Dream of your family. Your friends, if you have any. Relive all those wonderful memories.. “ The Man whispered into Don’s ear as he finally lost his fight with the consuming shadows, 

“.. For when you wake,

 your true nightmare will begin. “

That's it for this chapter. :) MAN ALIVE- I have been EXCITED to show you guys this one!! This is the first time I've written for a chapter with the physical appearance of a villain.. And I think, ( and hope ) that you were left with a sense of dread for poor Don and Raph.. And- yeah, you'll be feeling that for a while with the chapters I have planned. ;)

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

[whisper-and-tangle]

THIS SONG IS V ESPILVER CORE ;. METHINKS ! !^_^^ <-HIYA its ya local philip labes gal :3c

lyrics;

Our job's a lot to juggle, the economy's a struggle - Espio & The Chaotix struggling with rent, and the high amount of jobs they have to take due to being like. Some of the only detectives nearby methinks fsdklfgsdfg.:3c

So we cuddle through the chilly winter nights - Espio, furless, hugging Silver, covered in fluff and v warm<33 ! !^_^^ to be less chilly inthe winter<333 UwU

Seems the bank won't take romance in lieu of an advance

And our love doesn't power all the lights - Despite their love for one another, Espio and Silver are still separated. Silver's future is still (usually) ruined, and they are frequently separated by time. Their love won't power the lights, nor will it power the light they need to find one another again- Though they will always find one another, even in the darkness- No matter what.

Some people have everything Born with a silver spoon <- The lives of others in comparison to Espio and Silver- Silver being born in an apocalyptic future, and Espio/the Chaotix dealing with money struggles.

But those folks don't have everything They ain't got you <-thisis . self explanatory fsdjfgsdjflgk. They don't have Espio or Silver. Though, this could also represent how not everyone in Espio's time would know Silver, due to him usually being in the future. Even if they have more financially than Espio, they'll never have someone like Silver- And Silver is worth more to Espio than any money.

Our TV gets no channels, and our radio's a brick And our ice cream melted in the sun and we don't care a lick Just our luck, the oven's stuck, we burnt the apple pie <- Silver's future being hellish and difficult to live in.

But it's always hunky dory, when it's just you and I - Even though Silver goes through alot, Espio will always reassure him. Everything's hunky dory when they're together- Because they'll fix things, and help eachother, together.

The to-dos are getting longer, the pollutions getting stronger - Silver's ruined future, and Espio's struggle with so many detective cases.

And our bills are in a pile by the door - The Chaotix are avoiding taxes and the IRS.

So we put all our quarters in a jam jar for the laundry

And our dreams at the bottom of a drawer

Some people have a diamond ring And eyes in a diamond hue <- Once again, other's lives in comparison to Espio and Silver.

But those folks don't have everything They don't get to look at you <- Most people would've likely not seen Silver, imo, due to him being in the future (i might b wrong tho fskjfgsdlkfg :3c.). Espio is an exception, though, getting to see Silver. Also nobody in the future seeing Espio- Seeing the ruins of Chaotix detective agency, seeing what Espio had left behind- But never seeing him, whilst Silver is an exception, seeing Espio alive and (usually) healthy.

So the neighbors wear fine linen we wear polyester blend

And the only place our car can drive us is around the bend

Just our luck, that's our last buck, but we don't ever cry 'Cause it's awfully hunky dory, when it's just you and I <-Silver and Espio getting through it together. Struggling together, but being happy nevertheless because they actually get to be together- A rare thing, for lovers separated by time itself.

But eventually reality sets in like the night When you need more than a buddy to muddle through this life And you'll find someone more practical to get ya through the grey <- Silver and Espio both fighting Eggman's forces and saving the world on occassions, whilst dealing with their own personal issues, and helping eachother through it.

And you'll hold on to the memories, until they fade away - Espio eventually dying, and Silver being in the future without him- Only having his memories, if he can remember- And he'll do his best to do so.

And we didn't have forever, but we had today - Silver and Espio never having long to see eachother, due to Silver frequently returning to the future. They never have much time together, but the time they did spend meant alot.

And for the price that's awfully nice - The price of the future/present being in danger or harmed when Silver returns to the present to save the future, allowing him to see Espio. It's a heavy price but the silver (;3c) lining of it is that they can see eachother again.

So call it too pragmatic, call it conscience, call it greed

Both of us had nothing, but had everything we need - Neither of them had much, but they had everything they needed. Silver had hope, he had friends, he had a way to see blue skies even if it was a rare sight to see, and he had Espio. Espio had family, he had friends, he had people who cared about him and people he cared about, and he had Silver.

Just our luck, the clock just struck, looks like we're outta time It was awfully hunky dory, when it was you and I <- Silver and Espio being separated by time once again, Silver returning to a future where Espio is dead and Espio being left in the present without Silver. They're out of time, but their short time together meant so much. It was okay, just because they were together, for once.

[tachvintlogic]

Denial. Lots of denial.

At first? Probably thought he was dead, but the second he transforms back "everything's fine guys! Don't worry about it! I don't need medical attention or tell my parents! Everything is all hunky dory!"

Since Sam and Tucker watched it happen, they probably would've noticed if something fell out of Danny (assuming the glare wasn't too bright). It would've had to fall out of the suit, and Danny's still in the suit, so he's probably still in his body? Neither of them want to believe Danny's dead, so they'll take any evidence they can to conclude there isn't a corpse inside the portal.

Danny mostly thinks of himself as "a boy with ghost powers." It's just like in comics where someone gets superpowers from a lab accident. He's still human. He's still alive. Totally not dead. Not even a little. Calling himself half-dead is not something he considers because that means confronting that he might not be completely human anymore.

As for concluding that he's half-ghost, it's a easy way to describe what they're seeing. He has a human and a ghost form, so taken together he's half-ghost. They probably just took cues from the villains too. The other ghosts recognize him as a ghost, but as a different kind of ghost. Vlad calls himself a half-ghost, and Danny is whatever Vlad is.

But half ghost doesn't mean half dead, not unless he wants it to, so Danny can call himself half-ghost without thinking about what that entails for his "alive" status.

I wonder what Danny thought after he had died? Like, reasonably, he wouldn’t come to the conclusion that he’s half dead. Sure he’s died but he’s still kind of alive so it’s fine. No. They all would have thought that he was a ghost. But that means that they must have searched for Danny’s body. Sam and Tucker would have been the ones to try the portal obviously but the off button’s on the inside. They can’t shut it down to check.

I wonder how long they thought that Danny’s body was just rotting behind the portal or floating somewhere in the ghost zone and knowing they can’t do anything about it. What if someone finds it and uses it against Danny? And what did they think when he turned back?Was he possessing his own body? Is that why they couldn’t find it? Or is he just shape shifting subconsciously?

Also, how the hell did they figure out he’s a halfa. In what world is that a logical conclusion? Oh yeah don’t worry guys I think I only kind of died. Half died. Like, what?