just the way you are

something was so wrong

---Notes----

Hello.

So here's another chapter. I have a lot of things I could say but you know I hate trigger warnings. I've taken more canon tmnt again, and I'm going to stop mentioning when I do that because it's a regular thing. It's also scared me to death that "chat" might be classed as fourth perspective. Absolutely wild.

Enough random rambling, I'm starving and really need dinner and time is not being kind to me. Have fun reading everyone.

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The floor was cold. Bone chilling, nerve tingling cold.

That was the first thing he noticed when his consciousness dragged itself to the surface. The floor was smooth. White. Crisp. Seemingly unending.

He could remember another time like that. It was hazy, beyond his memory, beyond what he could comprehend. His eyelids were leaden as he blinked open his eyes, the room swirling and shaking beyond his grasp. Ringing rushed to his head, so bad, so painful that he squeezed his eyes shut once more. Pretending none of this existed.

There was a faint humming sound in the background. The room smelled faintly of flowers. All of it was so unnatural, so unexpected that it made him pause for a moment. Maybe it was all just a dream? Was he finally dead?

No.

Because as his eyes drifted open for another moment, he could see a shock of blue. Fluttering eyelashes and a frown on her face. If he wanted, he could reach out and touch her. If his arms and legs weren't as heavy as his nausea.

But still, his fingers twitched.

And his vision cleared enough to allow him a proper understanding of their dire predicament.

They were in a room with no visible doors. The floor- white. The walls- also white. Everything else apart from the two of them was blinding, cold white. How did they get here? Him and the girl made of galaxies? The one who brushed his hand? The one who showed him how to live again?

A small groan escaped him. Before he could register, he had a shaking arm under him. He pushed himself up into a half sitting position, pushing aside how much everything hurt.

"Ka..." he began, but he trailed off, looking at the corners of the room. There was nothing, but this was no doubt some experiment.

Not the kind he enjoyed.

Light rushed to his head, causing him to slump back down. But he was closer this time. He felt his fingers shake as he reached out to touch her hand, trying to hold back tears.

"I'm sorry, Donnie," she said softly as their skin made contact.

He looked up, surprised to see her very much awake, with red-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. He stared at her for a moment, both of them laying unmoving on their side. "We'll get out. I've fought him before." It wasn't like he believed it himself. He'd be dead a million times over if not for his brothers. Facing him alone would kill him.

"No," she said. "He's worse here, I promise you." All she did was confirm his hypothesis that they were very, very screwed.

Didn't take a rocket scientist to work that one out.

It also didn't take one to see that she was scared.

"You can't make claims like that with half the information," he said softly. But as he said it, he started to feel a tiny bit of hope. He had Kayla. Maybe they could fight this? Somehow?

"I know that your Shredder didn't have four very trained, powerful mutant ninjas."

She was right.

Holy mackerel, she was right.