Chapter 13: Shame and Pride
Everyone except April and Casey at the lair
Everyone was shocked, their eyes widened. Mikey used his chains, and Draxum used his vines, immediately trying to subdue Donnie, but to no avail, as Donnie instantly stood up, created his staff, and swung it around him. Some kind of impact was created, and as a result, Everyone flew back. They all realized what was about to happen…
Once everyone had recovered, Donnie’s left eye was purple.
“PLEASE STOP, DONNIE MIGHT NEVER RECOVER IF HE USES HIS POWERS AGAIN,” Leo yelled. He felt insanely guilty that he was the one who said this was an idea. He should have just…
While all this was happening, April got escorted by Casey outside the lair. He didn’t want to intervene, because they were honestly powerless in this situation. Still…
“Please, I might be able to get through to Donnie,” April yelled as Casey took her outside. “You can’t April… that thing might have complete control over him at this time… and we don’t have enough knowledge or power to get it out, we would only be in the way.”
April held her hand out towards the lair, realising that this could all go very, very wrong.
“And besides… I can’t lose you.” Casey said softly. April looked at him and just looked down at the ground, defeated.
Splinter started crying, as he realized he failed as a mentor, father and trainer. He let Donnie go beyond his limits again, even after he completely obliterated Morris and the Demon for a short time.
“DONATELLO, PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME, YOU CAN FIGHT THIS DONATELLO, WE LOVE YOU,” Splinter yelled, trembling with emotion and fear, but to no avail… right?
“The power to create tools and machines. It is almost like…” A demonic Donnie said, his voice distorted and otherworldly.
“Pa !@#@!#,” A voice said.
Donnie’s real voice came through. Even though it was incomprehensible, the others realized he was fighting back the demon, but to no avail…
“A lingering voice… SILENT,” as the demon said this, another blast of wind was created and tissue started to grow onto Donnie’s mouth, covering it in the process. Donnie then created sound waves from his body to communicate to his brothers.
“To still be able to possess such a weak vessel, even after what this one did to me…” The demon said, almost impressed with himself.
Raph’s voice cracked as he screamed through clenched teeth, grabbing at Donnie’s twitching arm.
“GIVE OUR BROTHER BACK!”
His voice echoed like thunder through the mystic space, breaking the stillness.
He was trembling, not with rage, but desperation. His fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles turned white.
“This is YOUR fault!” he barked at Leo, tears burning in his eyes.“You let Donnie go into this! You let him carry it all again!”
Leo flinched. He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His mouth opened slightly, but guilt swirled in his chest like a tidal wave. He looked away.
Yuichi was fuming, he really wanted to destroy that entity who had hurt his family and friends so much. But then Draxum started speaking…
“Why didn’t you possess Morris for your own gain,” Draxum asked angrily. He also wanted more information from the entity that was currently inside Donnie’s mind.
“Strength… comes from suffering too. It amplifies everything, especially the love and guilt towards his family. I was still too weak, but he obliged when he let me in.”
Everyone was silent. Morris suffered his whole life. Even when he was ‘possessed’, he just wanted his family back. They were getting onto something. The demon was explaining itself to them. Maybe it could give a clue of some sort?
“Letting him know every second of what he did those 100 years was the right call. Regardless, I can only be here for a short while as he finally fell asleep after 100 years, getting to have free rein for some time. I will play with you for a while.”
“You can’t beat us all,” Yuichi yelled angrily, his voice trembling with rage. Then, he held his katana forward, blue flames emerging, ready to attack.
“YUICHI NO,” Leo yelled, with Yuichi instantly realising that what he was about to do was no option… He couldn’t hurt him.
“You are not going to hurt Donatello? Even after he punched you in the face? Anyway, if you hit me, I won’t bother regenerating as I don’t care about this vessel.” When the demon said this, it created a sharp end on Donnie’s staff and created a small wound on his arm, letting the injury bleed in the process. He really wanted to show the group that there was nothing they could do and that it had power over them.
Everyone gasped. The demon had complete control over the situation. Not only did he threaten Donnie’s life. He could also look into Donnie’s mind, now knowing exactly what happened and what the team was capable of.
“What Draxum said is true. Love, sacrifice and family are the answers…” The entity said.
Everyone was shocked. What was going to come out next? Was the demon seriously going to give them the way to defeat it?
“My mission… I will tear your family, no, the Hamato’s power apart. It can’t be allowed to strengthen Yuichi’s blade. If only they knew, Leonardo and Yuichi…”
Everybody’s eyes and mouths were wide open. They looked flabbergasted. Why Leo and Yuichi? What were they hiding from the group? Splinter looked at them both. Then… everything fell in place in the rat’s mind.
“DON’T YOU DARE, YOU VILE SCUM,” Splinter ferociously screamed at the entity. He knew now… Leo just looked at Splinter, eyes starting to water, touched by his father’s kindness.
“Dad…”
“I might… I might not… Revealing that is a gamble,” The monster admitted. “This vessel did feel disappointed though. He could not understand how you two could do those things during everything.”
“Don’t…you…dare…” Leo said, his face turning red, furiously gazing at the demonic Donnie.
“DARE WHAT LEO, WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?” Raph said, sick of his brother’s secrets with Yuichi.
“If it isn’t the strong one with the massive limbs. Tell me. Didn’t Leonardo go to that Kraang robot to prove himself… JUST FOR YOU?”
Raph’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that it was said out loud. It was true, because he wanted to be the leader, Leo felt pressured to prove himself time and time again until…
“DON’T LISTEN TO THEM, THINK OF YOUR BOND WITH EACH OTHER,” Draxum desperately screamed. However… his whole demeanor was hopeless as the demonic soundwaves emerged again from Donnie.
“The chain user is not so innocent either. He felt Leonardo wasn’t powerful enough. But he didn’t want to be assertive and stand up to you Raphael. Since then he felt guilty about his own mistake that he tried to help you feel better about yourself. HE DIDN’T EVEN HELP LEONARDO ENOUGH.”
“That’s not true, I care about Raph’s and Leo’s…” Mikey tried to stay calm, but he wasn’t assertive enough, it seems…
“Do you now? You helping him through his guilt was only to lessen your own. You don’t give a shit about how he feels, OR ANYONE.”
Demonic Donnie then started to send out soundwaves of laughter. He did it just to taunt the family. Mikey looked down at the ground, and then at Raph. Did Mikey even mean all his help to his brother, or was it just out of guilt? Raph just started to cry. He couldn’t take it anymore, all he wanted was to protect everyone he cared about. Mikey tried to comfort him, but Raph pushed his arm away.
“Splinter, you trained your sons well.” The demon said, still cackling at the way he was putting the family’s bond to the test. “If only you trained them not to care about each other so much, and more about their own lives. Maybe then… things would have turned out differently.”
Splinter just looked at the ground. Then… he fell to his knees. His thoughts about failing his boys were reaffirmed by this thing speaking to them. Draxum immediately helped him up, trying to comfort the rat, but to no avail.
“And now the ‘leader’. It’s a shame I don’t have the strength to summon a metal arm. However… keep up your facade to the group! Ur such a strong leader, always bringing everyone’s mood up.” Laughing sound waves were coming out, especially when it said the word ‘strong’.
“WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT?” Leo was so furious that he instantly held his swords in front of him…
“Because of your ego, you are making your whole team suffer. You even have a clue to defeat me. But you choose not to show it, so you can look like a strong little turtle to your brothers.” This time, the sound waves were more serious. They were really trying to get under his skin.
“WHAT CLUE?” Raph screamed at Leo. The others just looked at Leo… While Draxum was also starting to connect the dots when he saw Yuichi’s concerned gaze. Leo just looked away and put his swords back. What was he going to do? He did want to tell the team, but with Raph and Mikey still distrusting Yuichi, there was no point.
“Yuichiiii we have quite the history, have we…” The demon started laughing even louder at this point.
“Bring it,” Yuichi said determined. He wasn’t going to let that thing get to him… right?
“YOU KNOW WHAT, I AM GOING TO GAMBLE!”
Leo gasped and started to scream. “DON’T YOU DARE.” He then punched Donnie in the face. Causing everyone to pull Leo away and restrain him.
“LEO STOP IT, YOU ARE DOING WHAT IT WANTS,” Mikey yelled. But his voice was completely hopeless too. The demon started laughing really hard this time.
“Seeing the image of what Donatello saw in his mind. It makes me think.”
“SHUT UP,” Leo screamed, but to no avail. Yuichi however, closed his eyes… and prepared himself for what’s to come. The waves became more calm. Still, it sounded like the entity had a good time.
“You know, Yuichi. The Usagi always had their back turned when running away from Morris and me. It must have been really lovely to have your back turned towards Leonardo these days. I assume you are the one on the receiving end in your relationship?”
Yuichi said nothing. Everybody just had their eyes wide towards the two. Leo got loose and sprinted towards his lover, trying to comfort him. However…
Yuichi started… grinning? Then laughing! He started laughing so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes, his face being wet. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. He just got outed with Leo to everyone, and he was just laughing? However… Yuichi was smart. He planned this. The possessed Donnie frowned a bit, being puzzled about what was happening.
“You know what! Being with Leo is wonderful. The fact that throughout all the chaos you and Morris created, I still get to have some ‘fun’ and not go down under your pathetic existence.”
Leo just looked at Yuichi, his eyes watering, then full on crying. Yuichi then, his eyes being the same as Leo’s, yet still smiling , took his hand out to him, and…
Leo grabbed it. What did he have to lose? The secret was out now. He still looked away from everyone, but it was time to show, not just their feelings, but the fact that there was hope. Yuichi’s katana started to glow a faint green color again. Nobody noticed it however.
“Why?” Raph said, questioning his entire existence. But as he asked, everything fell in place. Leo being so emotional over his ‘friend’. He just wanted to protect him… like he did his brothers.
“I’m sorry Leo… I never meant…” Raph got emotional, his voice starting to tremble.
“Raph…” Leo interrupted, his eyes being closed and his lips trembling. The turtle did not want to have this confrontation.
“I never wanted you to keep up appearances, Leo. You are good enough. I am so, so sorry.” Raph was full-on bawling his eyes out at this point. He didn’t know how to handle it.
Mikey came and put a hand on his shoulder. Raph immediately hugged the other turtle, causing Mikey to become emotional too. Mikey then started looking at Leo.
“How sweet… Leonardo almost died you know, RAPHAEL,” The demon taunted, but…
Mikey walked towards Leo and looked him in the eyes. “Leo… I am sorry I stuck to Raph. I knew you were suffering, but I didn’t do enough.” Mikey said. Then… he smiled with pride at his brother and Yuichi with tears in his eyes, until he focused his attention on the rabbit only.
“Yuichi, I am so ashamed of myself. I should have been there for you, not let you go through this all by yourself.”
“I get it now, Yuichi. I am so sorry about how I have treated you during the worst time of your life. You care just as much about Leo as we do. You deserve so much better,” Raph said, still crying faintly.
Yuichi just looked at the two, and smiled. He simply nodded, accepting their apology. Then immediately, he focused his attention on Donnie, with the others following suit.
Splinter took a step forward. Draxum was smiling too, the entity’s gamble had failed and now they knew that they had the power to defeat the enemy.
“I raised them. They did what they thought was best for each other. They truly care about one another, just like Leonardo and Yuichi. Your gamble failed you monster.”
“Did it? It was worth a try wasn’t it. Oh well…”
Then…
Demonic Donnie immediately grabbed his spear and rushed to Leo’s neck. It all went so fast. Everyone screamed…
Only Yuichi was nearby…
He pushed Leo away and jumped in front of him…
“I WIN,” an almost incomprehensible demonic voice yelled, but…
Yuichi’s katana gave so much light that Donnie’s spear evaporated. It was only light, but it completely nullified his mystic power. Nobody could see what was going on, as the light blinded everyone’s eyes, but Draxum knew what was happening.
“Love and sacrifice, supported by family.”
April wasn’t here, but she could feel what was happening. She suspected the young men had feelings for each other, and supported every moment of it. She also had a bit of the Hamato’s mystic powers. April looked at the lair while being with Casey and said…
“Leo, Yuichi…” And as she said this, she started crying. Casey just looked at her. He knew she had knowledge that was good for them, and that there was hope.
Donnie was flown away and then he lay on the ground. He was almost shriveled up at this point. The entity was to say the least… not happy. It made everything worse and then…
“#&#&&#&€&#&#.” Gibberish was heard and the possessed Donnie created another spear and tried to aim it at himself…
Everyone screamed. They tried to run to Donnie, trying to stop what he was going to do.
But then…
“THAT’S ENOUGH,” Morris appeared. He was transparent, almost like a spirit. He then put his arm through Donnie’s mouth, and ripped the spider out of him. The turtle’s mouth went back to normal.
Donnie was insanely weak, as he had burned out his mystic power again while being possessed. He just lay there, half conscious. When everyone was around Donnie’s almost lifeless body, he looked up at Yuichi, crying.
“I… sorry…fo… everything…Yuichi…”
It was hard to decipher, but Yuichi got emotional too, his lips trembling in the process. Then… when they all realised who was in the room with them, they instantly turned around. Morris was met with extreme piercing gazes, but he didn’t let it get to him.
“I just fell asleep once in the last 100 years and this thing immediately tries to manipulate others again.” Morris said calmly to the group. He wasn’t an emotionless husk though. No… he was determined. Everyone was silent, they already had their weapons out. But they couldn’t hurt Morris, he was a ghost after all, connecting through Donnie’s mind. In the meantime, Morris started to speak again.
“I am done killing. I am sick of it. I honestly wish there was another solution to getting my family back. I will see if there is, but… I am prepared to do anything to redeem myself to the ones whom I sold to a demon like that.”
Silence… They all realised that this was going to be a hard fight. Morris was determined, just as they were. Maybe he was even more of a threat now that he wasn’t influenced by that demon.
“How are you able to control it like that?” Draxum asked.
“I have been with it for 100 years. I know its ways. Since it was defeated, it feeds off manipulation. However… my will is stronger than it, because it only wants revenge on the Usagi’s. But I…”
Morris didn’t finish his sentence. He knew that the group already knew what he had gone through and what he had done. The man didn’t want to be reminded of it again.
“Your family… my family… We will see what will happen. My body is healed now after Donatello’s sacrifice. Meet me in 3 days in this crystal cave in the hidden city. Nobody has to get hurt. Bring Yuichi with you, otherwise, I will come to you.”
“You know where we are?” Splinter asked, looking angrily at the ghost. His gaze literally pierced him.
“Through Donnie…” Mikey added. He closed his eyes as he realised Donnie was being threatened again and he couldn’t do a thing.
“Yes… but I really don’t want to hurt innocent people anymore.” Morris started to fade and then he said one last thing.
“This 100 year dispute is going to end, Yuichi.”
And then… he was gone.
Donnie was lying unconscious again on the floor. It seemed like he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. Everyone brought him to bed. For the final battle that was coming, he wouldn’t be there. All were devastated, but they knew Donnie was strong, that he could endure it. Still, from now on, they would never let Donnie go beyond his limits again.
As April and Casey started to return, the planning started. April and Casey had already begun with Casey calling his colleagues and April calling her own connections to get onto the news, providing evidence that she was an ally of the turtles.
After some more fast reconciliations from Yuichi, Mikey, and Raph, as well as grieving over Donnie’s state, everyone had to act immediately. They started making a battle plan on how to deal with all the attacks Morris used. They analyzed the way he fought and came to several conclusions. One being that, the energy he summons is the thing making the creations. And him being alive for so long, he had made certain biomolecules and steroïd-like molecules to enhance his body. This made him able to use massive attacks instantly, as his body could handle a lot of it. Since he mostly used massive amounts of air and kinetic energy while even further boosting his body with artificial muscle fiber, there was hardly a counter. In combination with his other creations and regeneration, they had no idea how to deal with him. Even with the power of the enchanted katana of Yuichi, there was too little information about it. They hypothesized that it had to be thrust into the enemy to be useful. But how would they get close to Morris since he knew about their power now? And would Leo and Yuichi’s love from only a few months be enough?
The future battle in the hidden city seemed grim.
Until she arrived again…