Digital Mutation (Book Five)

Chapter 29: Trapped

Michelangelo's eyes snap open and his vision slowly focuses on the form of Master Splinter kneeling beside him. Splinter smiles with relief, one hand resting on his son's shoulder.

"Michelangelo," he murmurs. "It's good to see that you are alright."

The orange-masked turtle sits up, his breaths fast and a little too loud. Donatello kneels next to Sarina, who lays next to the teleporter in a limp heap. Leonardo and Raphael linger near them, concern etching their faces, and Diaval and Destiny stand a little further back, silent. Casey and April sit on the floor, hugging each other like they'll never do it again.

Michelangelo's frantic gaze meet his father's. "Where's Annalise?" he asks.

He tries to get to his feet but instantly buckles. Splinter catches him and holds him up, ears flattening with concern. "We do not know," he answers. "She did not appear with everyone else when the teleporter turned back on."

"Is Sarina looking for her? Is Donnie?" he demands. With every word, he can feel his body begging for rest. "Sensei, I need to—"

"Rest," Splinter finishes. "All of you went for a day or two without proper food. It seems that time does indeed pass faster when you're on the Internet." A small smile crosses his face. "The pizza is already on its way. Come."

They start off, Splinter supporting his distraught son as they go. Seeing Splinter leaving, everyone except for Donatello and Sarina head out into the living room, where they slump onto the benches and beanbag chairs with drawn-out groans, exhaustion weighing them down. April kisses Casey's forehead before grabbing her bag and hurrying up to the surface to collect their pizzas.

Splinter observes them briefly as their eyes droop and they start to yawn, already slumping over, and he makes eye contact with Diaval. Diaval points to the lab, eyebrows furrowing, and Splinter nods before he turns around and goes back inside.

Donatello is helping Sarina to her feet, but she keeps stumbling, hardly able to hold her own weight. She keeps one hand braced against her head, eyes fluctuating between dim and bright, and Donatello braces her against himself even as he forces himself to stay upright.

"Sarina, Donatello, you should go and rest with the others," Splinter says as he reaches them.

"I'm fine, Sensei," Donatello says. He brushes Sarina's sweaty bangs off her face as she winces, pressing her face against his shoulder as she sucks in a breath. "Sarina...what happened? What did you do?"

She blinks a few times, forcing her head back up. "I...let Circa in. I plugged myself in and now she's—ah!" She slams her eyes shut and her knees give out, but Donatello keeps her up. "She has entered...my mind."

Donatello's expression crumples. "No...no, you didn't," he whispers, borderline pleading. "Sarina, that was what she wanted! Please, tell me you didn't."

She rests her head against his shoulder again, eyelids dragging shut. "I am sorry, Donnie. It was the only way."

"Sarina," Splinter says, his brow furrowed. His whiskers twitch and he has to take a deep breath before he speaks. "I...trust, that you have something planned to remedy this? Perhaps you are prepared for the consequences?"

Her eyes dim completely for a second and her breaths get a little slower. "I'm...sorry," she mumbles.

Donatello makes a choked noise in his throat and brings her closer to him, his arms shaking. Splinter moves closer to them, reaching out and scooping Sarina into his arms with very little effort on his part. As he makes sure Sarina's head is supported, he looks to Donatello with a grim expression.

"Come, Donatello. You deserve rest," he says.

Donatello shakes his head. "No, Sensei, I can't. Not when Circa's inside her brain, doing who knows what!" he insists. "I'm going to stay awake until I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that she is okay. That's the bottom—"

Splinter reaches over and presses a spot on his son's neck. The turtle goes limp and falls into sleep, Splinter catching his falling body against his shoulders and slowly lowering him to the floor. He chuckles softly to himself.

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April returns with a few boxes of pizza and, along with Splinter and Diaval, they wake the others. Sarina is the only one who stays asleep, spread out on one of the benches.

The pizza gets distributed to the cyber-team and they dig in, wordlessly nibbling at their slices. Michelangelo stares at his share of the food, arms crossed over his plastron, and he grimaces before shoving it away.

"Mikey," Destiny murmurs. "You have to eat something."

He shakes his head and turns himself away from the wolf-raven, staring at the far wall. Destiny looks to the other turtles, searching for some kind of help. Leonardo purses his lips, Donatello doesn't look up from Sarina, so Raphael steps up to plate.

"Mikey—" he starts.

"No. I don't want pizza. I want Lisey," he pouts.

Destiny's fur bristles and she forces herself to her feet even as vertigo tries to drag her back down. "One bite," she says, lifting one finger as she says it. "One little bite, that's all."

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't lie to me," she retorts, raising her voice as it starts to wobble. He doesn't look at her and her hands shake. "Mikey...please?"

He stiffens a little at the crack in her voice. Without looking at her, he reaches over and grabs his pizza slice. He takes a single bite before dropping it back in the box, crossing his arms back over his chest and letting out a little huff. Destiny sits back down.

"Thanks, Mikey," Leonardo says, but it falls on deaf ears.

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When Annalise comes to, she's in her bedroom. She sits up, eyes wide and unbelieving as she looks around at everything. Without a doubt, this is her home. It's the place she has spent years of her life in and yet, there is something very off about it all.

She looks down at herself and finds that she's still wearing her cyber-suit, but when she stands up and looks out her window, Manhattan looks completely ordinary. It's not snowing like it was in her Christmas carolling vlog.

There's a soft buzzing noise behind her and when she turns around, ice floods her veins. Circa's still form lays slumped against her bedroom wall, her hollow black eyes staring at the blonde and her wide smile still marking her noseless face. It sends shivers up Annalise's spine.

"M-Mikey?" she whispers, turning in little circles. "Mikey, are...are you here?"

"There isn't anyone here but us," a voice says behind her.

She whirls around to see a blonde girl sitting at her computer desk, headphones on. She turns around in the swivel chair and she finds herself looking at her exact replica. The second Annalise smiles and gets to her feet, slipping her headphones onto her neck.

"Or, should I say there isn't anyone here but...you?" she asks, letting out a giggle. "I think you'll like it in our channel, Annalise. It's fun."

She laughs again and Annalise winces. The doppelgänger wanders toward her, tilting her head back and forth as she reaches out and grabs her arm.

"I can't wait to play with you," she whispers.