Where We Collided || ROTTMNT ||

Finally Free

It was as if lightning had struck both of them. Donnie and SHELLDON fell to the floor, unmoving. SHELLDON's body was charred black and crackling with electricity. Donnie's shell was smoldering, the turtle's eyes unseeing as he lay on the floor.

Leo instantly ran toward him, the wound in his side not stopping him from reaching his brother. Krang Sub-Prime forgotten, Mikey also flung himself at his brother. Leo was first to reach him and pulled him into his lap, speechless as he looked at Donnie.

"Nononononono," Mikey whispered, hands splaying over Donnie's plastron.

Their brother was not breathing, moving, or seeing. Mikey looked at Leo, eyes filled with tears.

"I-" Leo began. "I can fix this," he said, hands trembling as he placed Donnie back down and began chest compressions.

He had to try, he had to try and save his brother. Donnie wasn't supposed to die, not yet anyway. He was supposed to stay with them until they grew old. Leo didn't stop his compressions for what seemed like a long time, and then Mikey's hand landed on his, stopping him short.

"What?" Leo snapped, angry tears pouring out of his eyes.

"He's gone, Leo," Mikey sniffled, face contorted with grief.

That was the moment that Leo's world fell away from him, and he started crying.

OOO

Donnie opened his eyes to darkness, conflicted for a moment. It seemed like he hadn't made it out yet. But something was different, it was less dark than before. He stood, making his way over to the light source. It was a dot of light, and on the other side of it, Dark Donnie was staring into the darkness, curled up like a fetus.

"I guess we died," Donnie stated because that would explain the scene he could see in the blob of light.

"You gave that stupid robot orders, didn't you?" Dark Donnie asked with a snarl, tears in his eyes as he turned to face his lighter self.

Donnie simply nodded. "I did," he said.

And he had, because that was the last thing he'd said to SHELLDON before his consciousness had been stripped away from him. He watched Dark Donnie start to cry, angry at himself and at the world around him.

"I just wanted to occupy a body of my own!" Dark Donnie snarled, uncurling and taking a step toward Donnie.

His fists were balled by his side and he looked away, tears streaming like blood. They were thick and red, and Donnie walked around the light to wipe them away gently with his finger. Dark Donnie's skin was cold and getting paler by the second. They were dying.

"You can," the genius said, because Leo's words still rang through his head.

"Don't lie to yourself," Dark Donnie muttered bitterly.

"I'm not," Donnie said. "What Leo said is true. You are me and I am you. We are one and the same, a being separated not of our own accord."

Dark Donnie chuckled humorlessly. "How would you know?"

He sounded sad and defeated, as if he was accepting his fate. Donnie lifted his chin and made him look into his eyes. Yellow met yellow and Dark Donnie gazed at him with fear and reluctance.

"Because I feel like you sometimes, and I want that feeling back to stay," he answered. "Come back, in here," he added, pressing a hand over his heart.

Dark Donnie sniffled, a small smile splaying over his face.

"You're so annoying," he stated, placing his own hand over Donnie's.