Thirty-Third and a half Theory [Action/Illusion]

[i_speak_softly]

[Today Donatello is lying on the couch in House 55, staring into space. He's sick and he knows for a fact that he's hallucinating, so he will not be at all disturbed by anything that might present itself to his vision. It's only a product of his feverish brain, after all...]

((Go on and barge into his house, fourth-wallers. Replies may not be entirely coherent, but they will at least be agreeable.))

Comments

[hiddenbadass]

[Mike doesn't know how he ended up in this place, but he sees the nearest door and, sensing someone behind it, presses the side of his head against it to listen in.]

[i_speak_softly]

[You will hear sniffling and groaning, the sounds of a sick Donatello in his natural habitat.]

[hiddenbadass]

[Wait, is that Donatello? And is he sick? Mike opens the door quickly, and despite his blank face, there's a worried edge to his tone.]

Donny?

[i_speak_softly]

[Slow blink.]

... Mikey?

[hiddenbadass]

[He blinks at the wings, but doesn't comment on them. Yet.]

Yeah, it's me.

[He closes the door behind him and walks over to Don, looking around for traps on the way.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don sits up a little straighter, and holds out his arms. He needs a hug, bro.]

[hiddenbadass]

[Mike blinks at him for a long moment. And then, all at once, he understands. He just looks at Donatello a few moments more before he reaches over to give him a one armed hug.

None of this makes any sense. The last thing he can remember...]

... When did you get sick? Where are we?

[i_speak_softly]

[Only a one-armed hug, little brother? You're going to catch his sickness even if you try not to touch him too much.]

Eh, Raph gave me his flu. This is... [He squints hard at this strange-seeming Michelangelo.] Are you real, Mikey? I can't tell...

[hiddenbadass]

[Hey, it's all he can give. ... And at that last question, he pulls Don a little closer to him. He doesn't care if he gets sick if it helps.]

... I'm real, Donny. You're just sick. ... ... Raph's here too, then?

[i_speak_softly]

Mikey... [He curls against Mike's shoulder.] We've been waiting for you.

[hiddenbadass]

[The "we" is his answer.

This is starting to get very awkward. But, at the same time, he doesn't let go. He shifts so he can hold Donny better.]

Sorry I didn't get here sooner. ... Wherever "here" is.

[i_speak_softly]

Luceti. Nexus world. Been here ten months... Raph eleven. When - When're you from?

[hiddenbadass]

[... Wait, ten months? Eleven? A nexus world isn't as surprising, but--

Well, Don had come back still as young as he was. And they had been through weird time stuff before. So, something had happened again. He'd figure it out later. For now, Don is probably half-coherent and unable to answer his questions properly.

Ignoring everything else that's happened to him beyond his last moment with Donatello--and even that moment--Mike starts with the simple things.]

From our last chance to bring Shredder down.

[i_speak_softly]

Ugh... which last chance?

[hiddenbadass]

The one where you were gonna spear him with the Turtle Tunneler.

[i_speak_softly]

[He spends a long time thinking about this before reaching a conclusion.]

Later than me, then.

[hiddenbadass]

[Seeing that expression on your sickly face is so familiar that it hurts. That causes a long blink.]

... Later than you? What's the last thing you remember?

[i_speak_softly]

[Mike, these questions are difficult. Do you really have to ask them now?]

... Stealing Bishop's train car.

[hiddenbadass]

[Sorry, Donny. He needs to know. Now.]

... Stealing Bishop's train car? But he isn't--

[And then Mike goes extremely silent, but eventually almost whispers.]

When he captured Karai?

[i_speak_softly]

Yeah... [Something that's been slowly seeping through his fever-fogged brain finally reaches his consciousness.] Mike, you have no arm.

[hiddenbadass]

[And Mike goes stalk still, just staring down at Donatello with what could only be described as a horrified look because Donatello doesn't remember him. And, until the last few moments, he thought he did.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don pulls back. It's a sensitive subject, obviously, but he couldn't not ask.]

... Mikey?

[hiddenbadass]

You don't remember.

[i_speak_softly]

No... Maybe Raph does...

[hiddenbadass]

[Mike's just quiet. Again. Until....]

Don, the last thing you remember happened over thirty years ago.